THE Olympic He stayed 0-0 with Paphos in the crowded “G. Karaiskakis”, on his return to Champions League. The Greek champions missed the opportunity to start their liabilities in the League Phase of the top cross -country competition.
Olympiacos had total control of the match from the first minutes, being a senior team from Paphos. He pushed for the fast goal but did not find it, although the Cypriots competed from 26 ′ and then with a player less, due to a second yellow card from Bruno.
The game was an aggressive monologue of Olympiacos, who closed the Cypriot team in its frames. The guests were trying to break the pace, delays at every opportunity, as they struggled to keep the tie, playing with 10 players.
The bad thing about Mendilibar’s team was that Paphos was in massively and very well, not allowing the Greek champions to create classic goal opportunities.
The Reds fought until the last second for the victory, but never found the “golden” goal and started their Champions League duties.
The match
With the start of the match, he was a little lacking to find Olympiacos with his back on the wall. Paschalakis was carelessly removed from Dragomir’s against Dragomir The ball was marched, but ended up a little out.
Paphos played with a numerical disadvantage early. Bruno already had a yellow card, but went “with the plugs” in a mark on Tsikinio. He saw yellow for the second time and was eliminated at 26΄.
The Cypriots changed their system, closed in their frames, delayed and broke the rhythm of Olympiacos, who was unable to threaten particularly until the end of the half.
With the re -opening of the match, Mendilibar made a double change: Taremi and Mouzakitis (the third younger player in the history of Olympiacos in the Champions League after their Ophorikou and Vergo), outside Garcia and Strefitsa.
Olympiacos set up a siege around the Michael area, but was mainly trying to threaten to “fill”. In one of them, El Kaabi was thrown among the center back, but his head was unlucky at 48΄. This was also the only opportunity created by Olympiacos in the first 60 minutes of the match.
In the 68΄, however, there were two phases that “warmed” the stand. Initially Retsos headed from the small area saw Michael performing great intervention and then the phase Taremi overthrew the jazz. Iran saw the red, but after examination of the VAR the card was properly downgraded.
The pressure of Olympiacos continued, but there was no opportunity. In the 84th Mouzakitis’s shot against Langa, stopping Michael, but the ball left corner. In the 90΄, Goldar with a stunning tackle deprived Taremi an almost sure goal, so the match ended with the Cypriots adding yet another great result to their amazing course in their maiden appearance in a Champions League group.
Group compositions:
OLYMPIC (Jose Luis Mendilibar): Paschalakis, Rodinei (61΄ Costina), Retsos, Pirola (76΄ Bianconi), Ortega, Garcia (46΄ Mouzakitis), Es (76΄ Pulmonide), Tsikinio
PAPHOS (Juan Calros Karsedo): Michael, David Luis (34΄ Pileas), Goldar, Lakasen, Sounigits, Dragomir (86΄ Anderson), Pepe, Bruno, Koreia (77΄ Langa), Dimitrian (33).