Ayoub El Kaabi found the back of the net on Tuesday, August 11, but his goal was not enough to keep Olympiacos in the Champions League. The Greek club lost on the pitch of NEC Nijmegen (2-1 after extra time) during the return leg of the third qualifying round, following a goalless draw in the first leg.
Starting at the forefront of the attack, the Moroccan international opened the scoring in the 46th minute. Poised for a rebound in the box, he finished with his right foot to put his team in a favorable position. However, NEC responded through Bryan Linssen, who equalized in the 70th minute with a cross from Dusan Tadic.
The situation then became complicated for Olympiacos with the expulsion of Konstantinos Fortounis in the 79th minute, following a VAR intervention. With a numerical advantage, the Dutch side ultimately turned the match around thanks to Emre Mor, who scored in the 95th minute of extra time.
Remaining on the field for the entire 120 minutes, El Kaabi thus scored his first goal in two European matches this season. This achievement was insufficient to prevent Olympiacos’s elimination, while NEC Nijmegen will face Bodø/Glimt in the playoffs in an attempt to reach the group stage of the Champions League.
