- UEFA Champions League League knockout play-offs first leg
- Kick-off Time: 22:00 Greek Time
- Venue: Giorgos Karaiskakis Stadium
- Where to Watch: Cosmote Sport 2 HD
After a 14-year wait, Olympiacos have finally qualified for the UEFA Champions League knockout stages, and face Bayer Leverkusen in the play-offs.
Many projected Thrylos to finish just outside the top 24 at the start of the league phase this season, but when it comes to Jose Luis Mendilibar and his crop of players, being underestimated suits them best.
This campaign was the first time in ten years that Olympiacos won three Champions League matches in a row, and their opening victory in that run – away to Kairat – was also their first away win in the same time period
Although more recent domestic results have not always gone their way, the Piraeus side do not seem to have the same issue when competing on the European stage, especially in the latter stages of the league phase.
Now, in the play-offs, they face a familiar foe, and one who they will be rematching far sooner than perhaps some would like: Bayer Leverkusen.
The Bundesliga side suffered defeat at the hands of Thrylos on matchday seven only a few months ago, and while there is every chance the same feat can be achieved again over two legs, Kasper Hjulmand’s men will want to right the wrongs of that game.
Can Olympiacos qualify for the last 16?
Last time in the UCL
Olympiacos went to Amsterdam to face Ajax with one objective – to qualify. They did just that. Thrylos ran out 2-1 winners against the Dutch giants to seal their place in the Champions League play-offs.
Following a frustrating first five matches – in which the Greek champions accumulated only two points – they staged a fantastic comeback to win all three of their final matches and accumulate 11 points, more than the likes of fellow play-off sides Monaco, Galatasaray and Benfica, while also pipping the eliminated Athletic Club, Marseille, Villarreal, Eintracht Frankfurt and both Dutch opponents Thrylos faced during the League Phase, PSV and Ajax.
The first half at the Johan Cruyff Arena admittedly was a slow start for the travelling side, with Ajax only narrowly missing out on an opener due to a correct offside call.
After half-time, however, the mentality shift was evident as Thrylos returned from the dressing room far more integrated, and it showed in their attacking intent. Mehdi Taremi and Gelson Martins linked up for the Portuguese winger to break the deadlock and put Olympiacos ahead.
In the wake of their opener, Thrylos’ momentum started to drift, allowing Ajax to push for an equaliser. A harsh but correct penalty was given after a shot rebounded off of Christos Mouzakitis’s arm in the box. Kasper Dolberg scored from the spot to pull Olympiacos out of the play-off places and into the genuine prospect of elimination.
That was until Santiago Hezze, the player who was wronged in the match against Barcelona, stepped up and headed home from a corner to put Olympiacos back in front with just over 10 minutes to go.
They saw out the victory in the Johan Cruyff Arena and qualification to the Champions League play-offs was secured on another famous European night for the Greek champions.
Bayer Leverkusen also required a victory on the final day of the league phase to secure their play-off place, and they did so with a seemingly comfortable win over an already-eliminated Villarreal.
Malik Tillman bagged himself a brace in the first half with Álex Grimaldo netting a third just before the hour mark to secure the final seeded play-off place and consign their opponents to second bottom in the table.
Why is there a contrast to Olympiacos’s European and domestic form?
It is night and day when it comes to Olympiacos in Europe compared to domestically, but some would say that has been the case all season, only it has now flipped at the turn of the year. Compared to 2025, where Thrylos struggled for results in Europe but seemed to be mostly cruising in the Super League, now they almost feel much more capable of causing an upset against much tougher opposition in Europe’s premier competition than in Greece.
Several reasons have been attributed to this recent slump. Teams in Greece take a much more defensive approach to Olympiacos, looking to let Thrylos have most of the possession while piling bodies in their own box, forcing Mendilibar’s side to play outside, cross, and their opposition have dealt with wave after wave of attack comfortably.
By contrast in Europe, Mendilibar has the freedom to set up his players to a style that’s much more suited to the smaller clubs he managed in Spain and with Olympiacos in both the UEFA Conference League, and UEFA Europa League campaigns. That being, allowing the opposition to have more of the ball, countering with pace, and scoring from a well-oriented attack.
It has not helped that the Piraeus side have not taken the chances they have managed to create for themselves. Against both Panathinaikos in the derby of eternal enemies and most recently away to high-flying Levadiakos, huge chances were missed that would have changed the outlook of both matches.
Against the Prasini, a terrible open goal miss from Gelson Martins could have earned Thrylos a point, and in Livadeia a shot from new signing Andre Luiz hit the post and went out, ultimately costing them three points.
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It is also worth noting that the Piraeus side’s rivals have strengthened this season which is an attributing factor for not getting results in key matches recently.
Both AEK and PAOK are challenging Thrylos for the title this season with only a few weeks of the regular season to go. Panathinaikos, while potentially set to miss out on the top four due to their poor start to the season, have improved both in terms of their personnel and play style under big money managerial appointment Rafa Benitez.
Lastly, the surprise package of the season, Levadiakos, who look set to usurp Panathinaikos in fourth, have made life difficult for all the ‘Big Four’ clubs under Nikos Papadopoulos.
Ultimately Olympiacos’s form does not seem to harm their prospects in either competition, yet. Be that as it may, they must get out of this rut starting now to have any hope of progressing in Europe, while also challenging to retain their league title.
Can lightning strike twice?
There are pros and cons for Olympiacos having to face Bayer Leverkusen again, and so soon, in this European campaign.
For Mendilibar and the players, the Bundesliga side being a familiar foe can play to their advantage. They know how they set up, where to exploit their weaknesses and can likely set out a similar plan to the one which they used to thwart them in January.
The drawback is that Die Schwarzroten will also have that familiarity with Thrylos and will obviously not underestimate their opponents again.
Although being the unseeded side means playing the first leg at home, this can be an advantage for Olympiacos, but only if they take their opportunities and build a healthy lead for themselves on aggregate going into the return tie in Leverkusen.
Anything other than a victory in Karaiskakis and it will be very difficult to progress to the round of 16.
In the league, pressure is felt by the supporters and maybe perhaps the players too, because there is an expectation to win every game and therefore clinch the Greek Super League title every season without any excuses.
But as we have established, Europe this season, once Olympiacos eventually got going, has felt like a different beast. The expectation was to at least qualify for the play-offs, and Thrylos did as much. From this point on, there is essentially nothing to lose.
The further they progress, the sweeter the journey for themselves and the fans.
That is the mentality the players and Mendilibar should have going into the first leg against the German giants – fearless and ready to make recent history repeat itself in front of a sold out Karaiskakis crowd.
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