Who’s Left?
AGONAsport’s Olympiacos contributor, Theo Bouras, looks back at the team’s derby victory against AEK which mathematically secured the Super League title.
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Who’s left? That’s the question Olympiacos fans must be asking themselves. Over the course of a seven-day period in which the Erythrolefki beat Panathinaikos, PAOK and AEK, the answer is easy; no one. After mathematically clinching the domestic championship for a record 45th time, Pedro Martins has the task of keeping his squad motivated for the rest of the season. The Greek champions are set to square off with AEK in the Greek Cup Final, they still have their second leg against Wolverhampton Wolves left to be played for the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 and, finally, they would like to remain undefeated for the remainder of the Super League campaign.
A Step Above The Rest
If the game against AEK showed us one thing, it’s that Olympiacos is a step above every other Greek team. Much like the playoff games against PAOK, Aris and Panathinaikos, the Legend jumped out to a commanding lead after a dominant first half. AEK tried to rally but was unable to fully recover in the second half.
The 2019/2020 edition of Olympiacos has displayed such a dominant style of football that they are arguably the best team in the history of this organisation. Martins has introduced a style of play which we haven’t seen since Ernesto Valverde was in charge. Historically, the 45-time Greek champions have relied on fast, talented players to showcase a quick style of football. This season, it’s the ball that is doing all the running whereas the players are simply properly positioning themselves. Accurate passing, timely runs and clinical finishing have set this team apart.
This style of play makes it nearly impossible for opposing teams to get any momentum going. They say that the best defence is offence. By constantly having the ball on their feet, Olympiacos aren’t only creating scoring chances, but they are also disabling their opponents from getting a sniff of Jose Sa.
If there is one negative aspect to Olympiacos’ game right now, it might be their tendency to drop a level of intensity in the second half and merely hold on to the scoreline. This shouldn’t be attributed to complacency, however, but rather to the unique circumstances of the coronavirus break. Teams still aren’t 100% match-fit and this shows in the latter stages of the game.
Andreas Bouchalakis, who was substituted in the first half of the duel against PAOK on Wednesday by coach Martins after a poor performance, came back in beast mode on Sunday at the OAKA. The Greek midfielder not only won the ball back on many occasions, but also continued his elite passing to help Olympiacos open the game. Along with Mady Camara and Guilherme, Bouchalakis has been a part of what seems to be the team’s best ever midfield trio. All three players have such different styles of play, but at the same time, they complement each other like a hand in a custom glove.
Supporters must also be happy to see Kostas Fortounis slowly getting his stride back. Fortounis, at 27 years old, continues to be the most talented player in the Super League and is starting to resemble the dominant attacking midfielder we saw in previous years. Playing on the left side, Fortounis is able to cut more towards the middle of the pitch where he is a lot more comfortable due to the timely overlap runs of Kostas Tsimikas.
Finally, I feel the need to once again thank Marcus Berg for rejecting Olympiacos’ offer last June. Had he signed, we would have never landed Youssef El-Arabi, the best striker this team has seen in over a decade. El-Arabi now has 27 goals this season, tying the record set by Ilija Ivic for Olympiacos during the 1997/1998 season.
Schedule from Hell Continues
While beating your three biggest rivals is quite the accomplishment, Olympiacos cannot afford to sit back and celebrate. The team still has ways to improve and you get the feeling they understand this
With six games left to go in the Super League playoffs, the Erythrolefki are still not aware of what the rest of their schedule will look like. The Wolves game will most likely take place on August 5th or 6th, but the EPO still has not decided when the Greek Cup Final will be staged. Moreover, the last four playoff games still don’t have an assigned date.
While the English Premier League will finish at least 10 days before the return leg against Wolves (giving the English squad a healthy period of rest), the EPO continues toying around Olympiacos. This is something they have done all season.
If you guys ever want to get an additional fix of Olympiacos, check out my podcast @ThryleOLE or search “Thryle Ole Podcast” on Facebook.
