Olympiacos: PSV, Arsenal and the team's inner struggles

  

   After a thriller of a night in Eindhoven, Olympiacos managed to avoid shooting themselves in the foot thanks to a last ditch effort by Ahmed Hassan and qualify for the round of 16 of the Europa League. There, they will be expected by their "old friends" Arsenal who will be thirsty for revenge after last season's fiasco at the Emirates.

   You'd think that a two-goal advantage would've been enough to secure that Olympiacos' game against PSV Eindhoven for the second leg of the Europa League round of 32 wouldn't turn into a horror show. Yet you would be far from the truth, as the team showed some of their old tendencies on the pitch, habits that fans thought they had given up somewhere near the end of the previous decade.

   But let's take thing from the beginning. Having the safety of the 4-2 result from the first game at the "Georgios Karaiskakis", Olympiacos manager Pedro Martins decided on a more patient approach for the return game at the "Philips Stadion", with a 4-3-3 formation. He had no issue with giving the home side the ball and waiting for a chance to strike them on the counterattack. He went with his favorite eleven: Sa, Lala, Reabciuk, Ba, Semedo, M'Vila, Bouchalakis, Camara, Bruma, Valbuena and El Arabi.

   On the other hand, PSV manager Roger Schmidt dropped his usual 4-2-2-2 formation for a far more aggressive 3-5-2. The big surprise was the use of injured central defender Oscar Boscagli in the heart of midfield to replace the penalized Sankhare. Nick Viergriever took his place in defense, while Max and Dumfries were in total charge of the left and right wing respectively. 

FIRST HALF

   The game began with Olympiacos looking rather comfortable holding onto the ball. They had little to worry about from the PSV attacking force, while up front the French quartet of M'Vila, Camara, Lala and Valbuena were attempting to put the pressure on the Dutch defense. But other than a cross that came from Bruma to bounce of the foot of Boscagli and land on the head El Arabi to go only inches wide of M'Vogo's goal, they weren't really able to create much else for the entire first 45 minutes.

   After they got their legs on the ground, the home side began to come forward with greater urgency, searching for a goal that would keep them alive in the tie. Without actually suffocating the Olympiacos defense, they were able to create a few chances. And in an opportunity that was highly reminiscent of the second goal that he scored in Piraeus, Eren Zahavi found himself unmarked during a corner kick and rose up to get the header. Jose Sa got a hand on the ball but it bounced off him to pass the line and give the home side the kick start they were so desperately searching for.

   As if that wasn't enough, a few seconds before the 45', El Arabi fouled the Israeli midfielder in a highly advantageous position outside the box. He made no mistakes and with a spectacular free kick that gave Sa no chance to react, put the advantage in the hands of PSV for the first time in the tie.

   What Olympiacos had struggled so hard to build during the first leg, they had destroyed so easily in just 45 minutes. It was such a shame but, with the way they were playing, there was no way they were going to make it through to the next round.

SECOND HALF

   Something needed to change and Martins knew it. He immediately took off both Valbuena and Bouchalakis for the more attacking-minded Fortounis and Masouras. The difference in the team's mentality was obvious as they held on to the ball more and put the Dutch under greater pressure, yet they weren't really able to get it into the area. 

   In a great effort on the right wing, Bruma got past his personal opponent and crossed the ball towards the oncoming Camara who took the the first-time shot. The ball bounced off the bar to a defeated M'Vogo's great relief and the Guinean midfielder's shock.

   Martins continued to believe in his team and brought on Androutsos and Hassan for Lala and the exhausted Bruma. The Greek team desperately searched for a way past M'Vogo and on the 77th a free kick by Fortounis found the woodwork once again, this being the second time in the night.

   PSV tried to come out of their shell and get past the Semedo-Ba duet, with both players raising their performance in the second half. On the 85th minute, a shot from outside the area by Dony Malen found the post of the defeated Jose Sa.

   Only a couple of minutes later, Olympiacos were finally vindicated. Reabciuk saw Fortounis' run on the left wing, with the Greek crossing the ball towards Youssef El Arabi. The Moroccan striker defeated his personal opponent but his header was stopped by M'Vogo, who fumbled the ball, with Hassan being first to the rebound and tapping it into the goal to give his team the single goal they needed to make it through.

   In the final minutes, Schmidt, who hadn't made a single change all night, brought on all the attacking players he could, but nothing changed, as Olympiacos had the security of Socratis Papastathopoulos to see them through the final five minutes of the game.

   Thanks to Hassan, Martins and their own persistence, Olympiacos were able to avoid a disqualification that would've been entirely caused by their own mistakes. PSV proved to be a team that was completely on their level and the Greek defense gave them far more ground than they should have.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

   Even though they qualified, Olympiacos did not play well at all, contrary to the first game. The first half was tragic, they failed to create anything up front and they crumbled under the slightest bit of pressure. Those are definitely not good signs. 

   As many people have noticed, Jose Sa has been underperforming for a while now, although according to information from Greece this is all based to his own personal issues so this is when the club and everyone really needs to support him. After all, we're talking about a Portuguese international goalkeeper.

   There also appears to be an issue on the left side. Oleg Reabciuk is not as solid defensively as initially thought, while there's also not a lot of cooperation going on between him and Bruma up front, which makes him the weak link in the starting lineup. He's still new in the team and the club needs to have faith in him but he also needs to apply himself more.

   In good news, It was nice to see Ousseynou Ba make such a solid performance once again. This is the defender we've come to know and if he continues to make such great appearances, he's more than likely to move to a much bigger club than his buddy Pape Cisse did.

   It's also great to see the team's fighting spirit. They never give up, they fight for one another and they all celebrate together. A solid unit, it's easy to believe in them and the sky's the limit.

THE FUTURE

   The next obstacle in Olympiacos' European frontier is one they've come to know very well the last few years: Arsenal.

   The gunners are already sharpening their claws after what Olympiacos did to them last season inside their own home and this time you can be sure there will be no underestimating.

   Things have certainly changed, especially on the Greek side, as the team that knocked out Arteta's side could barely make up a 14-player squad.

   This time however, the red-and-whites have a full list and many players that can come off the bench and provide many solutions.

   Among them is former "gunner" Sokratis Papastathopoulos who will want to prove himself to his former manager Mikel Arteta that practically forced him out of the team.

   Arsenal have also changed however, replacing Mezut Ozil with former Real Madrid playmaker Martin Odegaard and bringing in Brazilian defender Gabriel from French side Lille.

   They still seem to be plagued by issues however, as they're barely 11th in the Premier League while they were almost disqualified in the previous round of the Europa League by Benfica, a team beaten by PAOK in the Champions League qualifiers.

   So while they always remain a team of massive quality, they also have some major flaws. If Olympiacos can improve on their own weaknesses, they could be able to do what they've never done before and qualify to the Europa League quarter finals. 

   It's all about breaking your own limits. And this is something they've done before, after all.

Olympiacos-PSV 4-2: Unstoppable!

    

   Despite being brought back to level terms twice by their Dutch opponents, the Greek champions were able to make the most of their home game and will now carry a two-goal advantage to the Netherlands in a few days time. Great coaching by Pedro Martins, who became the coach with the most European games in the history of the club.

   For those who were on neither side, the game between Olympiacos and PSV Eindhoven for the round of 16 of the Europa League at the "Georgios Karaiskakis" was a highly enjoyable evening of football, especially in the first half. Not one, not two, but five goals were scored in the space of 45 minutes, with yet another added in the second half to seal the final score. 

   But as Pedro Martins, the man who now has the highest number of games as manager of Olympiacos in Europe (overtaking Dusan Bajevic), said in a post-game interview, these types of matches may be a pleasure to watch for the spectators, but they're a coach's worst nightmare. Because it means that all of their plans have gone to waste.

   The Portuguese maestro decided to go with his all-time favorite 4-3-3 formation, giving a starting position to Yann M'Vila and Armindo Bruma, who had both been suffering from injuries and were doubtful for the tie. He also chose to play with all three of the club's recent transfer signings in defense, using Oleg Reabciuk on the left, Kenny Lala on the right and putting Sokratis Papastathopoulos next to Ousseynou Ba in the center. The three traditional midfielders were, besides M'Vila, captain Andreas Bouchalakis and Mady Camara who was charges with going up higher and pressuring the Dutch defenders. Up front were Bruma, Matthieu Valbuena and Youssef El Arabi.

   Olympiacos started the game rather cautiously, giving the ball to their opponents and trying to find an opportunity to hit on the counter. Thankfully they didn't need to wait too long, as a foul by left-back Max on Valbuena after nine minutes gave the French winger the chance to feed the ball inside the box to the unmarked Bouchalakis, who calmly headed the ball into the right-hand corner of Mvogo's goal, who was unable to react. This was Bouchalakis' first goal in Europe and his fourth in the season, as he continues to silence his doubters.

   A few minutes later though, Olympiacos would be punished for their choice to give the ball over to PSV so easily. After passing the ball outside Jose Sa's area, the ball fell to Eran Zahavi who dribbled nicely past Camara and took the shot, with the ball deflecting off Papastathopoulos and ending up in the back of the net.

   The two teams continued in the same rhythm, when on the 36th minute Olivier Boscagli took a knock and was temporarily forced off the pitch to receive treatment. Olympiacos made the most of their temporary advantage and a pass by Bruma on the left fell to M'Vila outside the area who blasted the ball past Mvogo for the second time in the evening.

   But once again, Olympiacos were made to pay for their sloppy defending and with PSV back to eleven men -after Timo Baumgartl replaced the unpable to continue Boscagli- they again found the equalizer, again with the same player. A corner kick by Max from the left saw Zahavi who, alone and unmarked in the heart of the Olympiacos defense had little trouble putting it away for his team.

   With the home side now being extra cautious of their own defensive errors and PSV happy to take the result into the changing rooms, it all seemed as though the two teams would head to the break on level terms. 

But no one judged on Baumgartl, who during injury time fell to the unbearable pressure of El Arabi, giving the ball away in the heart of his own defense and allowing the experienced striker to score perhaps one of the easiest goals of his career in Europe. 

As if that wasn't enough, Olympiacos' pressure to the Dutch defense continued to bare fruit when Camara won the ball deep inside the opponent's half just moments later, but instead of passing to the unmarked (yet possible offside) El Arabi, he decided to take the shot on his own, which was deflected for a corner kick.

   Both defenses suffered setbacks, yet with the necessary substitution, it was now PSV that looked the most vulnerable. At the start of the second half, Olympiacos continued to let PSV have possession, yet their every counterattack seemed lethal and could've made the difference between the two sides. 

   Eventually the two managers decided to take chances, Roger Schmidt looking for a third equalizer and Pedro Martins for a fourth goal that would give his team a two-goal safety cushion for next week's game in Eindhoven. Schmidt took out the -unconvincing- Mario Gotze and the rather aggressive Ibrahim Sangare to bring on Mauro Junior and Yorbe Vertessen, while Martins initially made his team a bit more defensive by taking off Valbuena and El Arabi to introduce Greek duo Giorgos Masouras and Kostas Fortounis to the game. 

   But on the 80th minute, and with his defense now looking a lot more solid, the Portuguese manager made a triple change that threw the Dutch for a loop, taking off Lala, Bruma and M'Vila and throwing in Thanasis Androutsos, Marius Vrousaj and Ahmed Hassan. 

   Olympiacos suddenly became a lot faster and more deadly up front, with Vrusaj creating many dangerous situations on the right wing. On one of those, he attempted to find the unmarked Hassan who was alone in front of the box, but Jordan Teze made a crucial clearance. 

   The fourth goal seemed inevitable however and it came a few seconds later, when Fortounis made the run again from the right, feeding a low ball into the area for the feet of Hassan who couldn't control it properly. The nearby Masouras however was there to tidy up and give his team the advantage they so desperately needed. 

   In the final minutes of the game, Schmidt brought on Marco van Ginkel and Erick Gutierrez, but it was Olympiacos that came closer to a fifth than PSV to a third. However, nothing else changed until the final whistle was blown, leaving the two sides to settle their differences in a week's time at the Philipstadion in Eindhoven.

A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT THE GAME

   It's been a while since we've seen Olympiacos score so many goals in a single night of European football. And while the team started off looking extremely vulnerable in the back, that makes it even more of an achievement. 

   The Papastathopoulos-Ba duo don't seem to go well together at all and Olympiacos may come to regret their decision to let go of Cisse. It wasn't just the way he played, but it was also the influence he had on young Ba, who hasn't been his usual self at all ever since his co-patriot and best friend departed for French shores. Someone should really asking him how he's doing because those level of performances are not what we're used to seeing from him. 

   As for Sokratis, there's not much to say. He does have experience and he can help the Olympiacos defense, but Cisse had a more athletic figure. He was taller and faster, not to mention a lot younger.

   On the other hand, the performance of the other two newcomers, Reabciuk and Lala was quite interesting. The Moldavian left-back added another solid appearance to his record and he really is proving to be a great signing. 

   As for Kenny, it's obvious he hasn't shown his full potential yet, but once he does, he'll be able to take on the whole right side on his own. No disrespect to Thanasis Androutsos who has made an excellent season himself but the French back is on another level and can literally go up and down for way beyond 90 minutes. He has great technique, a good foot and high stamina. It's exciting to think about how strong the team will be once he grows accustomed to his new environment. 

   Of course, Yann M'Vila continues to impress and demonstrate why he was such an important signing for the club during the summer transfer period. It wasn't just his goal, he was literally everywhere inside the pitch. 

   However it was a disappointing night for Bruma, who did try to make things happen on the wing, especially in the first half, but didn't really have much luck. We're used to seeing more from him.

   All the credit for this win must go to Pedro Martins. Not only did he prepare his team mentally and physically, he also orchestrated them from the bench in such a way that PSV were left dumbfounded. During the final minutes of the game, he hit them with a triple-sub of Androutsos-Vrusaj and Hassan that Schmidt had no response for. 

   Olympiacos have great quality not only in their starting lineup but on their bench as well, and Martins knows how to get the most out of all his players, whether they play or not.

   It's difficult to predict how next week's game will go, since PSV are a team that score many goals, but Olympiacos have shown that they have what it takes to make it through. If they score first then it'll be hard for the Dutch to come back and the Greek champions might even walk away with another win.