The Best Possible Start

The Best Possible Start

By Christian Leggas 

Olympiacos have gotten their UEFA Champions League campaign off to the-most-ideal start imaginable, as a late goal from Ahmed Hassan turned out to be a due reward for a very well-organised and well-structured performance.

 

Two minutes into the game, and Olympiacos were nearly behind when Andreas Bouchalakis got forced into an errant pass due to some high-Marseille pressing. The ball eventually fell to Marseille midfielder Morgan Sanson, but his attempt to catch Olympiacos goalkeeper José Sá off his line with a lobbed-strike went astray and out for a goal-kick. Much to the relief of Bouchalakis.

 

Three minutes after that Sanson chance, Marseille winger Florian Thauvin thought he'd try his luck from a dubious distance with a powerful left-footed curling effort, it beat José Sá, but it also had the goal beaten too.

 

Olympiacos had their first chance of the game just before the tenth minute-mark. As Yann M'Vila latched onto a pin-point Giorgos Masouras cross, but unfortunately, M'Vila couldn't direct his volley beneath the crossbar. It would have been a brilliant goal if he had done so, and he wasn't too far off to be fair to him.

 

Following that M'Vila volley, both teams found clear-cut chances hard to come by, as each side made it difficult for their opposite numbers to find clear routes to goal. The next clear-cut opportunity of the game came just after thirty minutes, as a well-struck Dimitri Payet free-kick could only end up in the gloves of José Sá.

 

It was a first-half that was fast-paced and one where both teams played well-organised football. Neither side was able to be separated as they went into the break with the score tied at nil-nil.

 

The second half started similarly to the first, as an errant Olympiacos pass again nearly lead to a Marseille goal. This time Marseille striker Darío Benedetto got on the end of a perfect through ball, but his shot was saved outstandingly by the outstretched left leg of José Sá. That was nothing short of a big let-off there for Olympiacos.

 

Shortly after Sá brilliantly denied Benedetto, Olympiacos were perhaps unluckily denied the opening goal. Giorgos Masouras had initially put the ball into the back of the net. But VAR decided to intervene just as everybody had set up for kick-off, thinking that Masouras had scored. But the sometimes-effective and arguably controversial technology spotted Masouras' outstretched leg to be beyond Marseille's last defender. Therefore, Masouras was judged to be in an offside position just before the ball found its way to him. It was a very, very close call, but it was a correct call.

 

The next clear-cut chance of the game fell to Mathieu Valbuena, as he was found nicely by a lofty and accurate cross from the ever-present (in this game anyway) Giorgos Masouras. Though, Valbuena's shot was saved very well by Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda.

 

Valbuena found himself involved again in the next chance Olympiacos had, as his cross from a seemingly very-difficult position found Youssef El-Arabi's forehead. But El-Arabi failed to direct his header on-target, much to his and Olympiacos' frustration.

 

It was that man again in Mathieu Valbuena who was causing havoc for Marseille shortly after that El-Arabi chance. This time it was his free-kick delivery from the right flank that was met by Olympiacos central defender Rúben Semedo, but Semedo failed to make any meaningful contact to it as the ball went out for a goal-kick.

 

Just as it looked like the match was heading for a scoreless draw, Olympiacos found a well-deserved match-winning goal in the first minute of stoppage time.

 

Yet again, it was Mathieu Valbuena who was at the heart of the attack, as he so often was in the latter stages of the second half. His superbly placed cross on this occasion found the head of substitute Ahmed Hassan. Who did what Rúben Semedo and Youssef El-Arabi failed to do previously, and that was, make no mistake with the finish, as his perfectly placed header found the corner of the net, giving Steve Mandanda had zero chance of saving it.

 

Olympiacos were able to hold onto their slender lead for the remainder of the match to gain a vital victory to kick-start their UEFA Champions League campaign with the best possible result. For Marseille, on the other hand, they have started their campaign ultimately in the worst possible way. They now have a mountain to climb to at least obtain the consolation prize that comes with finishing in third place in the UEFA Champions League group stage, which is a place in the round of thirty-two in the UEFA Europa League knock-out phase.

 

It was a fairly even match for most of the evening, but as the second half reached its latter stages, Olympiacos did look the more threatening team and did deserve to take all three points. They'll certainly be high on confidence when they travel to Portugal next week to face FC Porto in their second UEFA Champions League group-stage encounter.

Hellas Football 

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