Olympiakos Mid Season Review 2019/2020

Olympiakos 2019-20 Midseason Review

By Gavin Waymire

With the first half of the 2019-20 season behind us, it is time to look back and see how the Reds have performed thus far.

It has been a rather tumultuous first half of the season for the Erythrolefkoi, who after starting off in imperious form, find themselves once again looking up at their Northern rivals PAOK in the standings. 

This coupled with a disappointing Champions League campaign full of missed chances, is certain to leave fans frustrated. 

Pedro Martins stated to begin the season that the SuperLeague was his top priority, even placed ahead of European competition. With that in mind, to find ourselves in second at the break is a great disappointment. Our Champions league campaign was equally aggravating; Olympiakos generally performed much better than expectations, but struggled to earn the results reflective of their efforts. 

At the time of writing Olympiakos seem to be struggling for consistency, and a perfect example of their very up and down form can be seen from their league results over the past couple weeks. On the one hand, the Piraeus outfit have no issue with seeing off solid Greek opposition in the form of Larisa and Asteras Tripolis, but then on the other hand we can’t seem to find a way past newly promoted Volos, participating in Greece’s top flight for only the first time. 

This isn’t a new trend either, as Olympiakos have on multiple occasions thrown away points, usually due to pure wastefulness. If there is a glaring weakness to be noted from the first half of the season, it has to be poor finishing in the attacking third. Teams like Volos, or even Panionios or Xanthi are able to park the bus and steal a point, despite being vastly inferior to the Greek giants. Lack of clinical finishing has cost us against the big boys too, as seen in draws with PAOK, Panathinaikos, Tottenham, and the home loss against Bayern; all games we could have and probably should’ve won if only for a better final product in front of goal. 

Derby matches have also produced underwhelming results, with Olympiakos only achieving one win in three tries, and not looking entirely convincing in the two draws against PAOK and Panathinaikos. These results will have to improve if we are to mount a serious title challenge, especially with the playoff system being re-implemented. It’s not all negative though, as there have been a number of shining lights for the Erythrolefkoi. 

The first that comes to mind is a rock solid defense, which has only conceded 6 goals in 18 games domestically (the best mark in Greece). Despite a handful of head scratching mistakes from Yassine Meriah (who is heading out the door in Piraeus), the defense has been a generally reliable unit. Despite this however, the Reds desperately need a quality centerback to partner Ruben Semedo, as the aforementioned Yassine Meriah seems to have lost the trust of coach Martins. Loan moves for players like Dinos Mavropanos or Panos Retsos could help mend this weakness in the short term, until we can properly invest in the summer. 

Also encouraging has been the overall fighting spirit and never say die attitude from the team. In the past few seasons, this has been lacking. Although the results haven’t gone our way (yet), this team has no shortage of heart and effort. The mentality is there; these guys really do fight for the badge. With a few on-field improvements and more added depth, this side has the potential to achieve great things. Another positive going forwards will be the return of Kostas Fortounis from long term injury. Our captain will certainly add a creative spark going forward which will hopefully aid some of our offensive woes for crucial games domestically and in Europe. With the Europa League Knockouts, the Greek Cup, and the SuperLeague playoffs all fast approaching Olympiakos must make major strides in order to reach it’s ambitions. Things will only get tougher from here, and if we are to end our wait for silverware now is the time to act. 

While it has been frustrating so far, the season is far from over. As we get into the nitty gritty of the campaign, Pedro Martins’ side will have ample chance to show what they are really made of. 

Hellas Football