Leverkusen strikes hard in Piraeus, El Kaabi gave it his all

Defeated at home, Olympiakos and Ayoub El Kaabi will need to turn the situation around in Germany. On Wednesday, February 18, at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, the Greek club lost 0-2 to Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs. A harsh score considering a more balanced first half, before the German side gained momentum after the break. 

Leverkusen made the difference in the second half thanks to Patrik Schick, who scored a quick double after the hour mark: first with a composed finish, then with a header from a corner taken by Alex Grimaldo. These two actions cooled the Piraeus crowd and put the German champions in an ideal position ahead of the return leg. 

At the heart of Greek hopes, Ayoub El Kaabi was one of the few to genuinely trouble the opposing defense during the match. Quickly sought after for deep runs and second balls, the Moroccan striker thought he had opened the scoring in the first half, only to see his goal disallowed. This was a turning point, as Olympiakos seemed capable of making Leverkusen doubt at that moment. 

While not creating numerous clear chances, El Kaabi made an impact with his positioning and ability to exploit limited space. In a match where Olympiakos often lacked precision in the final touch, his activity served as a support point, but the German wall held firm, and the realism shifted to the other side. 

From the Greek perspective, the idea is clear: stay alive until the end. Captain Panagiotis Retsos emphasized the need to correct mistakes before the return leg, where Leverkusen will seek to secure their qualification. Olympiakos, on the other hand, will cling to what they showed before the opening goal: aggression in recovery and the belief that with El Kaabi, one opportunity can be enough to turn the tide. 

The return match is scheduled for next week in Germany (February 24-25 according to the playoff calendar). To hope to overturn the 0-2 deficit, Olympiakos will need an even sharper El Kaabi… and a collective efficiency far superior to that of the first leg.