Olympiacos had an easy afternoon against Lamia, with the Red and Whites, despite the many changes made by Jose Luis Mendiliber, winning at “C. Karaiskakis” with 4-1 for the 8th matchday of the Super League playoffs.
Piraeus, led by Daniel Pontense who had a goal and an assist, opened the scoring in the 24th minute with Ciquinho, after a pass from the short midfielder and in the 27th minute they made it 2-0 with Fran Navarro. In the 52nd minute, Podense added his name to the scorers’ table, with Tosic in the 64th minute making it 3-1. In stoppage time, Alexandropoulos made the final 4-1.
Another big performance from Daniel Pontense, with the Portuguese midfielder notching a goal and an assist.
Olympiacos did their duty against Lamia and now turn their attention to the important away game that follows against Aston Villa (2/5) for the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League. The first of the two matches that the two teams will play, with the rematch scheduled a week later (9/5) in Faliro.
This is how the two teams lined up
Jose Luis Medilibar lined up Olympiakos with 4-2-3-1, with Paschalakis in front of goal and Kini, Retso, Vezo and Richards in the back four. Ciquinho and Ese in midfield, with Masura, Horta and Pontense behind Navarro. Leonidas Vokolos, on the other hand, started Lamia with the following 11: Koselef, Simon, Tzanetopoulos, Giannoutsos, Sidclay, Jandaris, Nunes, Martinez, Lake, Kontonikos, Tsiloulis.
Lead with Chiquinio
After the first quarter, Olympiacos started to pick up the pace and create opportunities. In the 12th minute, Vezo took the header, but Koselev blocked. Nine minutes later Masouras was in a shooting position and shot, but again the Lamia goalkeeper blocked.
In the 24th minute, Olympiacos found the goal they were looking for with Ciquinios, after an assist from Daniel Pontense. The short midfielder made a nice effort from the left and turned at the height of the small area, with Tsiquinios making it 1-0 unmolested.
Navarro for 2-0
Three minutes after Cicinho’s goal, Fran Navarro doubled the goals of the big port team. The Red and Whites pressed high and stole the ball, with Ese crossing to the Spanish striker and he slotting past Koselev for 2-0.
In the 28th minute, Olympiacos came close to making it 3-0, but Tzanetopoulos intercepted Masoura’s through ball, which was intended for Tsikinios, who was about to score into an empty net. In the 32nd minute, Ese shot from inside the area, but the ball went wide.
In the 38th minute, Piraeus threatened again, this time with Podense. The Portuguese found space and made the diagonal shot, but the ball “licked” Koselev’s post. Just before the end of the half, in the last good phase of the first half, the Iberian winger made another shot, but the goalkeeper of Lamia blocked.
3-0 against Pontense
Olympiacos started the second half without changes, with the Red and Whites creating the first good moment in the replay in the 50th minute.
Horta took the free kick that Piraeus had won from the left, Masouras took the header, but Koselev saved impressively for a corner. What Masouras failed to do, Podense did two minutes later. Simon made the header backwards, Podense entered the phase and “hung” Koselev for the 3-0 Olympiakos.
In the 55th minute, Podense sent Masoura into a four-on-four with Koselev, but his shot went over the crossbar of the visitors’ goal.
Changes from Mendiliber, reduced by Tosic
Just before the hour mark, Medilibar made their first changes, with Abi and Alexandropoulos replacing Retsu and Ciquinho.
In the 61st minute, Lamia threatened with a diagonal shot by Tsiloulis, but Paschalakis saved. Three minutes later the visitors reduced it to 3-1 with Tosic’s shot.
New changes from Mediliber
In the 74th minute, the Olympiakos coach made two more changes, with El Kaabi and Zelson Martins instead of Navarro and Masoura. Seconds after the changes, Ese tried his foot, but Koselev blocked. In the 78′ and 80′ the Red and Whites threatened with Ayoub El Kaabi and Andre Horta, but in the first case Koselev blocked and in the second the Portuguese’s shot went wide.
4-1 with Alexandropoulos
In stoppage time, Alexandropoulos, after a pass from El Kaabi, made the final 4-1, putting the icing on the cake.
The compositions:
Lamia (Leonidas Vokolos): Koselef, Simon (59′ Tosic), Tzanetopoulos, Giannoutsos, Sidclay, Tzandaris, Nunes (46′ Tereziou), Martinez, Lake (84′ Tsilianidis), Kontonikos (46′ Vasilantonopoulos), Tsiloulis.
Olympiakos (Jose Luis Mediliber): Paschalakis – Kini, Retsos (59′ Abi), Vezo, Richards – Ese, Tsiquinio (59′ Alexandropoulos), Orta (84′ El Arabi) – Masouras (74′ Zelson Martins), Pontense, Navarro (74′ El Kaabi) .