After three games without a win, Olympiacos won again last Saturday. They clocked up a 2-0 victory at the Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis against tenth-placed Panetolikos with Lorenzo Pirola scoring the opener for the Red and Whites. The fact the centre-back was able to play at all was good news for Olympiacos. Pirola collided with team-mate Panagiotis Retsos in the first half of the 2-0 defeat against the Werkself, suffering a cut to his head that saw him substituted at half-time.
Three days later, the 24-year-old Italian was back in the starting line-up for the league fixture against Panetolikos, with coach José Luis Mendilibar making eight changes compared to the game against Bayer 04. Apart from Pirola, only goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis and forward Mehdi Taremi remained in the starting line-up. A number of key players such as defenders Retsos and Francisco Ortega, midfielders Santiago Hezze and Christos Mouzakitis and forwards Gelson Martins and Ayoub El Kaabi were initially on the bench. Others, such as wing-back Rodinei and striker Daniel Podence, were not even in the squad.
The second goal for the clearly dominant hosts was scored by substitute Yusuf Yazici shortly before the final whistle. "We should have sealed the win much earlier because we had plenty of opportunities," said Mendilibar after the match. The coach believes his team's biggest shortcoming at the moment is taking chances: "It's a good sign we're creating a lot of chances, but we need to be more precise with our finishing."
With the 2-0 win against Panetolikos, Olympiacos remain in second place in the Greek Super League behind leaders AEK Athens. However, the gap to their city rivals is only two points. Olympiacos therefore still have every chance of defending their title from last season with four games to play before the start of the Super League play-offs.
Mendilibar is cautious about their situation in the Champions League after the 2-0 defeat in the first leg against the Werkself: "After the defeat against a strong team, qualifying for the Round of 16 will obviously be difficult. We have a chance, but only a small one," said the Olympiacos coach, looking ahead to the second leg in Leverkusen. "Unfortunately, we conceded the second goal at home within a short space of time before we were able to respond to the first. And after that, we didn't manage to score the goal that could have changed our prospects for the second leg. It was a game that ultimately went completely against us." Patrik Schick scored both goals for the Werkself in Athens with a brace within 144 seconds.
Olympiacos are now under pressure in the second leg. Their ability to handle pressure has been evident several times in the current Champions League campaign. The Red and Whites are one of the strongest pressing teams in the UCL. They showed just how dangerous they can be away from home in their 2-1 win at Ajax on the last matchday in the league phase.
The Greek record champions will undoubtedly bring a high level of intensity to the BayArena on Tuesday, when many of the regulars who were rested last weekend will return to the starting eleven.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen has secured a new network partner in Extreme Networks GmbH. The leading provider of AI-powered network automation has agreed a five-year partnership with the Bundesliga club, running until 30 June 2031. As part of this, the club’s existing Wi-Fi 5 infrastructure will be replaced by more than 400 Wi-Fi 7 access points, which are specifically designed to meet the requirements of a stadium with a high user density. The aim is to enhance the fan experience while optimising operational processes and security.
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New signing Miguel Gutiérrez has made a good start at Leverkusen and has promptly earned a nomination for Player of the Month in his first few weeks in the Bundesliga. He has scored one goal and provided three assists in four league games. The Spanish left-back has also brought some impressive stats with him to Bayer 04. Issue #56 of the Werkself magazine has taken a look at these figures. ‘Facts & Fun’ with Miguel Gutiérrez.
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With seven points, Mainz 05 are currently joint seventh, level on points with sixth-placed Bayer 04. In today’s head-to-head clash (kick-off: 15:30 CEST), the Werkself must be particularly wary of the clinical Mainz strike duo. For Leverkusen fans who have left it to the last minute, there are still a few tickets available from the matchday ticket office. Those following the Black and Reds from home, on the other hand, have a choice: RTL is broadcasting the match on free-to-air TV, and Werkself Radio is also offering the expert commentary of former Bayer 04 player Falko Götz. Today’s matchday news.
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Back from the international break: On Saturday 10 October (kick-off: 15:30 CEST), the Werkself are away to Mainz 05. Ahead of the clash at the MEWA ARENA against the side currently sixth in the table, head coach Carles Martínez spoke, amongst other things, about the team’s work during the extended international break. The Spaniard also commented, when asked, on a number of squad matters, including Ibrahim Maza.
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FSV Mainz 05 went into the international break on the back of an away win at Borussia Mönchengladbach. Currently sixth in the table, the Rheinhessen side – who have been impressive on the road – now aim to continue their good start to the Bundesliga campaign at home when they face the Werkself on Saturday, 10 October (kick-off: 15:30 CEST). In terms of squad selection, Urs Fischer once again has more options at his disposal. Up front, the Mainz coach is likely to continue relying on what is currently the league’s most successful strike partnership. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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