Real Madrid ended their long wait to win on Greek soil with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Olympiakos on Wednesday evening. Managed by a former familiar face in LaLiga, Jose Luis Mendilibar’s Olympiakos took
an early lead, got dismantled by Kylian Mbappe’s five-star performance with four goals, but made a late attempt to fight back. Ultimately, Madrid escaped with all three points.
The game saw shifts in momentum and tactical approaches from both sides, particularly in how they constructed their attacks. In the first 15 minutes, Olympiacos generated significantly more expected threat (xT) with 1.32 compared to Real Madrid’s 0.28, also registering more touches in the final third, 30 to 24. This early dominance continued into the 30-minute mark, where Olympiacos maintained a slight edge in xT (1.8 to 1.48) and final-third touches (48 to 43).
However, by the 45th minute, Real Madrid had equalized the xT output, reaching 2.8 compared to Olympiacos’s 2.69, and slightly surpassed them in final third touches with 73 to 71. The second half saw Real Madrid take a lead in xT by the 60th minute (3.93 to 3.85) and increase their final third touches to 105 against Olympiacos’s 94. By the final whistle at 90 minutes, Olympiacos had accumulated a higher total xT of 6.52 compared to Real Madrid’s 5.29, also leading in final third touches with 153 to 138.
Real Madrid primarily relied on moderate sequences in the first half, completing eight such sequences out of nine total. They executed one patient sequence and no short sequences during this period. Olympiacos, in contrast, showed a more varied approach in the first 45 minutes, utilizing three short sequences and two moderate sequences, with no patient sequences, totaling five sequences.
In the later stages of the game, specifically after the 75th minute, Olympiacos continued to build play through short and moderate sequences, completing one short sequence and three moderate sequences, for a total of four sequences. Real Madrid did not register any sequences in the data for the period after the 75th minute.
Real Madrid focused their play more in their own half, with 312 pass receptions in their own half compared to 211 in the opponent’s half. They recorded 295 touches in the opponent’s half. Olympiacos, on the other hand, demonstrated a more forward-leaning approach, registering 331 touches in the opponent’s half. Their pass reception distribution also reflected this, with 121 receptions in their own half and 216 in the opponent’s half, indicating a preference for building attacks higher up the pitch.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was a key contributor, generating 1.75 xT. He recorded 13 touches in the final third and completed 10 of 15 longballs, alongside 13 progressive passes. Arda Güler also made a significant impact, with an xT gain of 1.01. Güler had 10 touches in the final third, completed five of six longballs, and delivered nine progressive passes.
For Olympiacos, Rodinei was a standout performer, leading all players in progressive passes with 15. He also contributed 0.96 xT, made 16 touches in the final third, and completed six of nine longballs. Aurélien Tchouaméni of Real Madrid also played an important role, with an xT gain of 0.93, six touches in the final third, and eight progressive passes, completing four of six longballs.
In terms of carrying the ball forward, Gelson Martins and Vinícius Júnior were prominent, each completing nine progressive carries. Martins also had 38 touches in the final third, while Vinícius Júnior recorded 43.
Real Madrid will now have to shift focus back to LaLiga to preserve their one-point lead over Barcelona at the top of the table. They will remain on the road with assignments away to Girona and Athletic Club, before finally returning to the Bernabeu to face Celta.
