Leverkusen Vs Olympiacos: Stalemate enough to earn Leverkusen place in last-16
Bayer Leverkusen's goalless second-leg with Olympiakos was enough to seal progression after a 2-0 first-leg margin, a result that decided the tie and handed the German side passage to the Champions League last 16. The leverkusen vs olympiacos stalemate matters now because Leverkusen will learn on Friday whether they face Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the next round.
Leverkusen Vs Olympiacos: second-leg stalemate and Schick's first-leg brace
Leverkusen went into the return fixture holding a 2-0 advantage from last week's first leg, and a double from forward Patrik Schick in that first meeting proved decisive across the tie. The second leg at the BayArena finished 0-0, but the aggregate scoreline meant the German side advanced to the last 16 for only the second time since the 2016/17 season.
On the night, Kasper Hjulmand's side dominated from the first whistle and almost found an early breakthrough when Schick glanced a header wide inside four minutes after connecting with Alejandro Grimaldo's cross. Schick later attempted to lob the onrushing Konstantinos Tzolakis but failed to convert that chance as Leverkusen controlled much of the game.
Grimaldo's crossbar and near chances that left the tie settled
Left wing-back Alejandro Grimaldo pushed forward and nearly broke the deadlock midway through the second half when he struck the crossbar after a surging run into the area. That was Leverkusen's clearest opportunity in a second leg that ultimately did not require a goal from them to settle the tie.
Olympiakos had a rare spell on the front foot when Chiquinho forced a chance from the edge of the area but blazed his shot over, failing to halve the first-leg deficit that had set the tone for the aggregate outcome.
Injury blows after Union Berlin defeat: Badé, Tillman and other absences
Leverkusen arrived at the second leg dealing with fresh fitness concerns after a damaging 1-0 defeat at Union Berlin. Loïc Badé and Malik Tillman both picked up injuries in that match; Badé is a certainty to miss out and is poised for a month-long absence, while Tillman's ankle issue has left his status in doubt for the tie.
Details from the Union Berlin game: Stanley Nsoki was yellow-carded for a studs-up foul on Tillman in the third minute; Tillman remained on the field until he was substituted in the 81st minute and was seen limping as he left the stadium. On Monday, Kaspar Hjulmand said, "It will be difficult with Malik. It hasn’t been fully decided yet, but it doesn’t look very good. The decision will be made tomorrow. "
Leverkusen are also without goalkeeper Mark Flekken and attackers Nathan Tella and Eliesse Ben Seghir for the hosts, further complicating selection choices.
Olympiacos' missed moments, recent domestic form and historical record
Olympiacos had moments in the tie but were unable to make the most of them in the final third, undermining the efficiency that had served them in prior meetings. José Luis Mendilibar's men won in domestic action at the weekend, beating Panetolikos 2-0 in the Greek Super League, but that was not enough to overturn the first-leg deficit in Europe.
Historically, Bayer Leverkusen and Olympiakos have met four times in the competition, with each side winning two games apiece. The German side's only victory on home soil in those meetings was a 2-0 win in October 2002; the Greek side beat the 2002 finalists 2-0 on home soil during the league phase.
What comes next: draw, potential opponents and tactical options
Leverkusen will discover on Friday whether their reward for advancing is a tie against the Premier League leaders or the reigning Bundesliga champions, with the possible opponents identified as Arsenal or Bayern Munich. The club's progress marks a return to the last 16 in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2015.
Selection questions remain. If Malik Tillman is ruled out, Jonas Hofmann could be moved into Kasper Hjulmand's frontline alongside last week's match-winner, Patrik Schick, and Ernest Poku. Match assessments from users are handled after rating windows close: the score shown for player ratings represents the average from all submitted responses, and match momentum measures the swing of a game by comparing each team's threat to see who is more likely to score in a given minute.
