Olympiacos boosted hopes of reaching the Champions League knockout stage play-offs with a 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen at Stadio Georgios Karaiskaki. Jose Luis Mendilibar’s side struck in both halves, survived long spells of pressure, and capitalised on early chances to stay firmly in contention for progression from the league phase.
The result lifted Olympiacos to 22nd in the league phase standings ahead of a key meeting with Ajax next week. Leverkusen, coached by Kasper Hjulmand, stayed 19th and one point above the Greek club, but now face a tense final league-phase fixture against Villarreal after missing several clear openings.
Olympiacos struck almost immediately, as Costinha met Rodinei’s corner with a forceful header after just 92 seconds.
That finish gave Olympiacos the lead and also set a new club mark for their fastest Champions League goal, setting the tone for a match where Leverkusen spent long periods chasing parity.
Leverkusen responded by pushing forward in numbers and controlled much of the possession. However, the visitors lacked accuracy in front of goal, especially after half-time, when only one of seven attempts tested Konstantinos Tzolakis. The Olympiacos goalkeeper produced several strong saves, frustrating Leverkusen despite the visitors’ 2.37 expected goals.
Olympiacos doubled the advantage in first-half stoppage time through Mehdi Taremi, who finished clinically to cap a swift move. The forward, a Champions League runner-up with Inter last season, has now scored or assisted in three straight appearances in the competition, recording two goals and one assist in this current run.
Costinha’s opener was not only Olympiacos’ quickest in the Champions League, but also their earliest in major European competition since November 2008. On that occasion, Luciano Galletti struck in the first minute against Benfica during a UEFA Cup tie. Leverkusen also entered the record books, conceding inside two minutes in Europe for the first time since November 2015.
| Team | Goals | Total Attempts | Shots on Target | Expected Goals (xG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympiacos | 2 | 6 | 2 | - |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 0 | - | 6 | 2.37 |
That previous early concession came when BATE Borisov went 1-0 up after 68 seconds in a Champions League match. Despite those echoes from 2015, Leverkusen again failed to turn attacking pressure into goals, while Olympiacos showed clinical edge by scoring with both shots on target from just six total attempts.
pic.twitter.com/ixCRamRVxGOlympiacos FC (@olympiacosfc) January 20, 2026
The victory leaves Olympiacos well placed before facing Ajax, with Taremi and Costinha in strong form and key records broken. Leverkusen, who again saw an early goal conceded in Europe, must now recover quickly and be more efficient against Villarreal to secure a Champions League knockout stage play-off place.
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