Close, but No Reward for Effort.

Close, but No Reward for Effort.

By Christian Leggas 

 

Olympiacos have suffered a third-straight defeat in this season's UEFA Champions League, as they went down one-nil to English Premier League Giant Manchester City.

 

The theme of the first half was very evident. For Olympiacos, it was all about maintaining a "You shall not pass!" attitude, as they all tried to bring out their inner Gandalf. For Manchester City? It was a case of breaking them down attack after attack.

 

The first chance of the game fell to Manchester City's Rodri after two minutes, as he saw his venomous first-time shot go straight to the chest of Olympiacos goalkeeper José Sá. Had that attempt gone either side of Sá, City could well have been in front.

 

José Sá was on alert again six minutes later, as he was able to smother a Phil Foden effort successfully with his legs. It was quite clear early on as to who was going to be the busier of the two goalkeepers in this game.

 

The same man had City's next-best chance to score after fourteen minutes. But he couldn't match his promising run with a finish that was just as good, as his shot went well wide of the target.

 

Manchester City's best chance of the game to that point came on half-an-hour when striker Gabriel Jesus found space to run into, in behind the Olympiacos defence. Thankfully though for the home side, José Sá was able to keep it out with another important save.

 

City's pressure did eventually pay off after thirty-five minutes when Phil Foden got on the end of a superb Raheem Sterling back-heel. To then sweep his well-placed shot into the back of the net to give City deserved a one-nil lead. As he lost the ball, there was an argument to suggest that Olympiacos full-back Mohamed Dräger copped an illegal arm to the face from City midfielder İlkay Gündoğan before that chance eventuated. But the referee was having none of it, potentially rightly so, as the goal stood.

 

Right before the half ended, City nearly made it two-nil. When Raheem Sterling's free-kick almost dipped beneath the crossbar. Yet again though for Olympiacos. It was José Sá to the rescue, as the Portuguese goalkeeper tipped the shot over the bar for a corner.

 

That Sterling free-kick turned out to be the final chance of the first half, as Olympiacos went into the break one goal down.

 

The first chance of the second half fell to İlkay Gündoğan, as the ball came to him after some risky playing-out-from-the-back attempts from Olympiacos. His shot looked destined to find the corner, but it went narrowly wide, much to the relief of the home side.

 

Just after an hour, City full-back João Cancelo found himself in unfamiliar territory with an opportunity to double City's lead. However, his shot found its way directly to José Sá instead of the back of the net. Two minutes later, Sá yet again was called into action to keep out a close-range Bernardo Silva back-heel, which he did successfully.

 

It took Olympiacos eighty-eight minutes to have their first clear-cut shot of the game. Which fell to Kostas Fortounis, but his ambitious effort from a lengthy distance was never going to trouble Ederson in the Manchester City goal. Shortly after that Fortounis chance, Olympiacos defender Pape Cissé then tried his luck with a header from a Mady Camara cross. Which too was never going to cause Ederson problems.

 

Olympiacos did their best to try and find an unlikely equaliser in the remaining minutes of the match. But they were unsuccessful in doing so, as Manchester City collected all three points, and in the process, secured their place in the next round of this season's UEFA Champions League.

 

While the theme of the night for Olympiacos was probably always going to be about keeping Manchester City out. To have your first clear shot-on-goal eighty-eight minutes into the game is not good enough. When ultimately, Olympiacos did need some positive result from this game in one form or another.

 

Next up for Olympiacos in the Champions League is a trip to France to play Marseille, where any kind of positive result is mandatory if they want to be playing in Europe still in some capacity this season. Meanwhile, for already-through City, they face Porto away from home.

 

For the reigning Greek Champions to maintain their European Competition status this season, more organised and more clinical attacking performances are required in their next two Champions League matches.

Hellas Football 

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