Olympiacos opened their Greek Cup League Phase campaign with a comfortable 4-0 away victory against AEL on Wednesday, driven by goals from Gonzalez, Sa, Bruno and Roca.
The victory in Larissa maintained a strong start to the season for the Piraeus club, following back-to-back wins in their first two domestic league matches.
Despite holding possession from the opening kickoff, Jose Luis Mendilibar's team struggled to create clear chances early in the first half. AEL, focusing primarily on defense, came close to taking the lead in the 24th minute when Nitsos seized on a mistake by Olympiacos goalkeeper Popovic following a pass from Albanis. However, defender Carmo cleared the ball before it crossed the line to keep the match scoreless.
Olympiacos created their first notable chance three minutes later, when a header from Gonzalez went wide following a cross by Gelson Martins. The visitors broke the deadlock in the 35th minute when Fortounis delivered a cross from the right flank. AEL goalkeeper Melissas misjudged the ball, allowing Gonzalez to head home from close range for his first goal in an Olympiacos shirt.
Second half dominance
Olympiacos doubled their advantage early in the second half. In the 49th minute, the AEL defense failed to clear after an initial effort by Fortounis, allowing Sa to score with a close-range strike. The host side collapsed shortly after, and Bruno extended the lead in the 54th minute with a fine shot from outside the penalty area.
With the match effectively decided, Mendilibar's side controlled the remaining action. Substitution Roca added the fourth goal in the 66th minute, benefiting from a fortunate deflection off Melissas to make it 0-4, which remained the score line until the final whistle.
Lineups and background
Olympiacos, based in the port city of Piraeus, are one of the most successful teams in Greek football and compete regularly in major European competitions. AEL, based in Larissa in central Greece, host matches in the Thessaly region, where they faced the visiting side for the opening matchday of the domestic cup competition. The Greek Cup features teams from across the nation competing in a multi-stage tournament format.
AEL head coach Sokratis Ofrydopoulos started Melissas in goal, behind Sakic, Tselepidis, Risvanis, Bousis, Papageorgiou, Tsingaras, Albanis, Nikokyrakis, Ztoupis and Nitsos. Ofrydopoulos introduced Grozos for Bousis, Silva for Papageorgiou, and Kampetsis for Nitsos in the 61st minute, followed by Agapakis for Sakic in the 75th minute and Makris for Albanis in the 77th minute.
Olympiacos manager Jose Luis Mendilibar fielded Popovic in goal, with Koutsogoulas, Smailovic, Carmo, Bruno, Filis, Freuler, Sa, Martins, Fortounis and Gonzalez in the starting eleven. Mendilibar brought on goalscorer Roca for Martins in the 63rd minute and Tiknizyan for Bruno in the 66th minute. In the closing stages, Bakoulas replaced Koutsogoulas, Jota Silva replaced Gonzalez in the 81st minute, and Pedersen replaced Sa in the 82nd minute.
