Our next opponents update: The two faces of Olympiacos

We've seen two different sides to Olympiacos this season. At times, the team have been clever, highly focused and have put in a lot of legwork; they've been dogged in their tackling and ruthless in their finishing - as in the 2-0 win against the Werkself in mid-January. Or a week later in the 2-1 win in Amsterdam, which saw them qualify for the play-offs in the UEFA Champions League. A victory that had club president Evangelos Marinakis celebrating on Instagram: "A great, courageous qualification. A fantastic performance. Passion, strength, the heart of a winner. We believed in it - and we did it." There it was, the beaming, proud face of the most successful club in Greece.

winless in their last two league matches

But we've also witnessed the less than sparkling, at times dull everyday life in the domestic Super League this season, where Olympiacos have at times appeared inhibited, hesitant and toothless - as in the recent 1-0 home defeat in the Athens derby against Panathinaikos or last weekend's 0-0 draw against APO Levadiakos. There, the Red & Whites failed to find the back of the net despite being a man up for 45 minutes and having numerous chances. Olympiacos have won just one of their last four games in the domestic league. Last season's double winners are currently in second place behind league leaders AEK Athens. Of course, with five matchdays to go before the start of the play-off round for the top four teams, the record winners (48 titles) still have everything to play for in the championship, where they're just two points behind AEK. The cup competition, on the other hand, is history - Olympiacos were knocked out by PAOK in the quarter-finals.

Mendilibar: "We need to be more focused"

The aplomb that characterised Olympiacos in the 2024/25 season has somewhat disappeared from coach José Luis Mendilibar's team. The 64-year-old Spaniard admitted after the defeat against Panathinaikos: "When we concede goals, we get nervous, not immediately, but in the minutes that follow. We need to be more focused." After conceding an early goal in the seventh minute, there was "a lack of patience and composure. The team were too hasty and very impatient."

The side proved just how much quality they have in the league phase of Europe's premier club competition, and not just against Bayer 04. Olympiacos were still winless after five matchdays, but were on the cusp of victory in their 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven and also only lost 4-3 to Real Madrid. After Matchday 5, the Greeks were in 33rd place and had to win all of their last three games to have a realistic chance of making the play-offs. And Olympiacos pulled off a minor miracle, winning both the away games at Kairat Almaty (1-0) and Ajax (2-1) as well as the home game against the Werkself four weeks ago. They ended the league phase in 18th place, just one point and two places behind Bayer 04, meaning Olympiacos qualified for the knockout round of the Champions League for the first time in 12 attempts. Up to now, the Greeks had always been eliminated after four encounters.

Compact and clever in the league phase clash

In the head-to-head between Olympiacos and Bayer 04 in mid-January, the hosts pressed very high from the start at the Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis. After Costinha's early opener in the second minute following a corner, the Black & Reds had more possession and plenty of good chances. However, the visitors were repeatedly thwarted by Konstantinos Tzolakis' brilliant goalkeeping, while the clinical home side finished via a counter-attack to make it 2-0 through Mehdi Taremi shortly before the break. The 33-year-old Iranian is Olympiacos' most prolific striker in the current Champions League campaign with two goals and two assists.

In the second half, too, the Werkself were repeatedly frustrated by the Greeks' compact defence - or the outstanding Tzolakis denied them. Although ultimately lots of stats spoke in favour of Bayer 04 (17:6 shots on target, 72:28% possession, 86:65% pass completion rate), all three points went to Olympiacos.

The Red & Whites once again displayed their strengths against the Werkself: In the league phase of the Champions League, the Greeks recorded both the most intensive presses in the opponents' half (1737) and the most in the final third (1063) of all teams. They also racked up the most high ball wins (90) in their eight matches.

Two new winter arrivals

The club also signed two new players during the winter transfer period: The two Brazilian strikers Clayton and André Luiz arrived from Portuguese first division club Rio Ave. The front line, led by top scorer Ayoub El Kaabi (16 goals this season), Mehdi Taremi, Gelson Martins, Chiquinho and Daniel Podence has probably gained even more quality as a result. Brazilian Rodinei, who set up both of the hosts' goals against Bayer 04, also provides plenty of pace and goal threat. In defence, alongside goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis, captain and former Leverkusen player Panagiotis Retsos and midfielder Santiago Hezze stood out as the best tacklers and ball-winners in the game against the Werkself.