After three losses to begin 2025, Bruno was sacked on Monday, with Jose Tavares taking interim charge here. He won’t have been too impressed by what he witnessed in the first half, as no real chances fell his side’s way until the 41st minute.
Even then, Udinese loanee Nehuen Perez – suspended for next week’s crucial UEL clash against Maccabi Tel Aviv after picking up a harsh yellow earlier in the contest – failed to make sufficient contact on Samu Aghehowa’s inviting header across goal. At the other end, teenager Christos Mouzakitis’ long-range strike was well held by Diogo Costa.
The scrappy play continued after the break in a game punctuated by fouls, poor passing and questionable decision-making, and Tavares had seen enough just before the hour mark, taking off Pepe and introducing Goncalo Borges.
He almost immediately created an opportunity as his cross was spilled by Konstantinos Tzolakis, but the Olympiacos goalkeeper’s blushes were spared as Panagiotis Retsos blocked Rodrigo Mora’s shot.
Not long after, Tzolakis’ opposite number Costa dived to his left to deny Kristoffer Velde, who had been picked out excellently by Mouzakitis.
Then came seemingly the biggest chance of the evening as Ayoub El Kaabi was set free and had lots of time to decide what to do, but after cutting inside Tiago Djalo, his effort was blocked by Perez, much to the Moroccan’s disappointment.
Tavares duly threw on Arsenal loanee Fabio Vieira and Ze Pedro in search of a winner, but it was last season’s UEFA Conference League final hero El Kaabi who had the last laugh, producing a measured finish after being found in space by Mouzakitis.
Tzolakis ensured that the lead remained intact late on, denying Vieira smartly before his long kick forward deep into injury time found substitute Roman Yaremchuk, who rounded Costa to finish. Though that second goal was ruled offside by VAR, Olympiacos will not care in the slightest.
They now have a fighting chance of finishing in the top eight next week, when they host Qarabag, while Porto will be looking over their shoulder ahead of their trip to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Christos Mouzakitis (Olympiacos)
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