Olympiacos’ unbeaten run came to an end as they suffered their first defeat of the season falling to Aris who won 2-1 at Charilaou. Coming into the match, José Luis Mendilibar’s side had been in strong form with three wins and a draw in their first four games. However, Aris, under coach Akis Mantzios, bounced back from their recent loss to OFI to claim a well-earned victory.
The game got off to a rocky start for Olympiacos, as Aris struck early. Just three minutes in, Manu García found the back of the net, assisted by Clayton Diandy. This quick goal set the tone for a difficult first half for Thrylos, who struggled to break through a well-organized Aris defense.
Things worsened for the visitors before halftime. In the 41st minute, García turned provider setting up Lorenzo Moron to double Aris’ lead with a calm finish, making it 2-0. Olympiacos, despite controlling possession, couldn’t find their rhythm in the first half, and their frustrations were reflected in a yellow card for Andreas Ntoi on 38 minutes.
At halftime, Mendilibar made two key substitutions, bringing on recent signings Willian for the underperforming Kristoffer Velde and Sergio Oliveira for Dani García, hoping to inject some creativity into the midfield. However, the second half saw Olympiacos continue to struggle to create clear chances. A yellow card for David Carmo on 57 minutes and another for Oliveira after 75 showed their increasing desperation to turn the tide.
The visitors maintained a 65 per cent possession rate throughout the match, but they lacked precision in the final third. Despite 13 total shots, only two were on target. Roman Yaremchuk’s introduction in the 69th minute did little to shift momentum, and by the 75th minute, Olympiacos still trailed by two goals.
A glimmer of hope came late in stoppage time in the sixth minute when Ayoub El Kaabi scored a consolation goal, assisted by Rodinei. But it was too little, too late following another dismal display after last week's disaster class against Panetolikos.
Despite dominating large portions of the game, particularly in terms of possession, Olympiacos couldn’t translate their control into meaningful chances. With five shots inside the box but only one goal, Mendilibar’s men will be concerned about their lack of sharpness in front of goal.
Looking ahead, Olympiacos will need to regroup quickly. They travel to face Lyon is on Thursday for their first league-stage match in the Europa League.
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