Olympiacos kicked off their Greek Super League campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win against Volos, in a match that, at times, felt like an extension of pre-season.
With Jose Luis Mendilibar at the helm, the visitors managed to grab all three points, courtesy of
goals from Rodinei and Giorgos Masouras - both set up by the dependable Gelson Martins.
The game started with Olympiacos taking control early, and it didn’t take long for them to break
the deadlock. In the 13th minute, Gelson delivered a precise cross, finding Rodinei, who
expertly headed the ball past ex-Thrylos goalkeeper Marios Siampanis to give the visitors the lead and score the Piraeus giants' first goal of the season.
Volos, coached by Joaquín Gomez, struggled to gain a foothold in the game. Their task became
even more difficult when Lucas Villafanez was sent off in the 32nd minute after two yellow cards within the space of two minutes! Villafanez was first booked when he came on Andreas Ntoi's shin studs first and then received his marching orders after a late challenge on Santiago Hezze.
Despite the numerical advantage, Olympiacos couldn't fully capitalize, with the match ebbing
and flowing without much urgency. Chiquinho, however, was a bright spot for the visitors. The
Portuguese playmaker showed confidence on the ball, completing 95% of his passes and
creating two key chances, as he orchestrated play from midfield.
A Promising Start for Olympiacos
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Olympiacos controlling possession but
struggling to find the final pass to break down a resolute Volos defense.
That was until the 73rd minute when Masouras, who had just come on as a substitute,
doubled Olympiacos' lead. Once again, it was Gelson who provided the assist, threading
a perfectly-weighted ball through to the Greece international, who calmly slotted it home.
Olympiacos ended the match with 59% possession, 16 shots, and 384 completed passes—a
solid, if unspectacular, performance to start the season.
The match took a humorous turn when a gorgeous dog ran onto the field during stoppage time, giving
everyone a quick laugh.
For Olympiacos, this was just the beginning, and while there is room for improvement, securing
three points on the road is always a positive start.
Mendilibar started two of his summer signings in Lorenzo Pirola and Kristoffer Velde who proved to have adjusted quickly to their new team with a solid performance. The Spanish tactician also continued to show faith in last season's UEFA Youth League heroes with Babis Kostoulas picking up his first ever senior start and leading the attack. Marko Stamenic and Roman Yaremchuk came on from the bench and helped Thrylos push for their first three points in a performance that guarantees we will see a lot more of them in Greece as well as Europe.
The season is long, and Mendilibar will be pleased with how his team managed the game,
especially in a match where the rhythm occasionally dipped.
As Thrylos look ahead, they can take confidence from their opening day performance, knowing that they have the quality to push for silverware once again.
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