Olympiacos endured a frustrating night at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, held to a goalless draw by Pafos in their UEFA Champions League group stage opener on Wednesday.
Despite enjoying nearly 70% possession, multiple chances and the numerical advantage for much of the match, the Greek giants were unable to break through a dogged and disciplined Pafos defence.
The match shifted dramatically in the 25th minute when Pafos’ forward Bruno picked up a second yellow card for a foul on Lorenzo Pirola, reducing the visitors to ten men. From that moment, Olympiacos increasingly dominated possession and territory, pressing for a breakthrough while Pafos dropped deeper and organized behind the ball.
Even so, Pafos had their moments earlier in the match and nearly went ahead through a counterattack, but David Luiz, making an unexpected return to the Champions League stage, was forced off just after the red card with a muscle issue, adding to the visitors’ difficulties.
Olympiacos struggled to force clear-cut opportunities in the first half despite controlling large swathes of play. The Greek side frequently probed with crosses and shots from distance, often finding themselves frustrated by Pafos’ compact defending and goalkeeping.
Neofytos Michael, in goal for Pafos, was rarely seriously troubled but managed to stay alert, coming up with crucial saves to deny Olympiacos on the few occasions their forwards split the lines.
Pafos draw on competition debut #UCL pic.twitter.com/AGj8saRVBZ
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The second half saw Olympiacos continue to press. Substitutions aimed at injecting more attacking impetus followed, including bringing on Mehdi Taremi among others. El Kaabi came close with a header early in the second half, his effort drifting just wide.
Podence and Chiquinho tried to pull strings in the attacking midfield, while the wide players looked to force openings. But Pafos remained compact, defended resolutely and used their remaining players efficiently, often intercepting crosses and clearing danger under pressure.
A tense moment nearly turned the match on its head when Taremi, in what looked like a red-card tackle on Jaja during a Pafos counter, was initially shown a straight red card by the referee.
However, after a VAR review the decision was downgraded to a yellow. That decision spared Olympiacos from being reduced to ten men themselves and allowed them to continue their pursuit of a winner.
As the game wore on into the final quarter, Olympiacos intensified their pressure. Crosses rained in, corners piled up and late runs from midfield tried to unlock the Pafos blockade. Mouzakitis, El Kaabi and others had moments where the net seemed close, but every punch, interception or block from Pafos mattered.
A few moments of indecision, mistimed deliveries and a lack of finishing sharpness meant the home side could not convert dominance into a goal. Pafos’ defensive line, marshalled well, refused to buckle.
Though Olympiacos had more shots, more possession and more control throughout, the match ended 0-0. The Greek side’s tally of sixteen or more attempts never yielded a decisive strike.
Pafos celebrated a clean sheet away from home under immense pressure and with one player less for over 60 minutes. For Olympiacos the result is a warning: dominance in statistics does not always equate to points if the chances aren’t taken and the opposition defends with unity and grit.