Leverkusen - Olympiacos: Stalemate Secures Leverkusen Place in Champions League Last 16
Bayer Leverkusen reached the Champions League last 16 after a scoreless home draw with Olympiacos that left the German side 2-0 up on aggregate. The result matters because Patrik Schick’s two goals in the first leg meant a second-leg stalemate was sufficient to send Leverkusen through.
Leverkusen - Olympiacos at the BayArena
The second leg at the BayArena finished 0-0, a match in which Leverkusen dominated large stretches but could not add to their first-leg cushion. Early chances came for the home side: Schick glanced a header wide within four minutes after connecting with an Alejandro Grimaldo cross and then dragged a lob over goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis inside six minutes. Midway through the second half Grimaldo struck the crossbar with a surging run into the box — the clearest moment of the game — and right-back Lucas Vazquez limped off late in the half.
Because Schick had struck twice in Greece in the opening leg, the goalless return was enough to finish the tie 2-0 on aggregate and secure Leverkusen’s place in the last 16.
Patrik Schick’s two-goal burst in Piraeus
Schick’s brace in the first leg — two goals in the space of three minutes — provided the decisive margin. That second-leg restraint followed an earlier sequence in which Olympiacos had enjoyed success against Leverkusen in the season’s league phase: Olympiacos beat the 2002 finalists 2-0 on home soil during the league phase. In the play-off tie Leverkusen’s early pressure and last week’s comfortable win in Greece combined to carry them through despite a subdued performance on Tuesday.
Injuries and absences leave Hjulmand reshuffling
Coach Kasper Hjulmand had selection issues heading into the tie and saw key absences confirmed. Loïc Badé is set for a month-long absence and is a certainty to miss matches, while Malik Tillman’s ankle problem left his availability in doubt. If Tillman was unavailable, veteran Jonas Hofmann was in line to join Schick and Ernest Poku in the frontline. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken and attackers Nathan Tella and Eliesse Ben Seghir were also ruled out for the hosts. Late in the second leg Lucas Vazquez’s limp provided the only visible injury setback during the match itself.
Olympiacos decisions, Panetolikos result and Marinakis incentive
Olympiacos had rested six starters in their Greek Super League match on Saturday as part of their attempt to reach the Champions League last 16 for the first time since 2013-14, when they were narrowly eliminated by Manchester United. The Greek side beat Panetolikos 2-0 at the weekend under José Luis Mendilibar, but that domestic win was not enough to overturn Leverkusen’s aggregate advantage. Seeking added motivation, club owner Evangelos Marinakis pledged an "unprecedented" financial bonus should the team reach the last 16.
What makes this notable is the contrast between Olympiacos’s recent domestic rotation and Leverkusen’s ability to advance despite an underwhelming home display; the visitors created moments but were unable to convert them into the one or two goals needed to change the tie.
Historical context and the next draw with Arsenal or Bayern Munich
This progression is layered with historical notes: it was the first time Leverkusen had progressed through a two-legged Champions League knockout tie since they reached the final in 2002, when they lost 2-1 to Real Madrid. The last time Leverkusen qualified for the Champions League last 16 in back-to-back seasons was 2015, and this is only their second appearance in the last 16 since the 2016/17 season.
Leverkusen will discover whether they will face Premier League leaders Arsenal or German champions Bayern Munich in the last 16; the draw for the next round is scheduled to take place on Friday. Bayern were the side that eliminated Leverkusen in last season’s last-16 stage.
Reactions from the squad and closing details
Captain Robert Andrich said the team had been too sluggish and that the solitary positive was keeping a clean sheet and advancing. Midfielder Jonas Hofmann echoed the frustration, saying the coach Kasper Hjulmand would likely be dissatisfied with the performance. Leverkusen had not conceded at home in any competition since early January and, despite being below their best, the hosts were rarely troubled by an energetic but ultimately toothless Olympiacos.
Head-to-head history between the clubs shows four Champions League meetings with two wins apiece; the German side’s sole victory on home soil to date was a 2-0 win in October 2002. Olympiacos have not won a two-legged tie in this competition since the first round of the 1983-84 European Cup, a drought that left their hopes hinging on an unlikely turnaround in this tie.
The tie closed with Leverkusen safe in the last 16, Schick’s first-leg brace the decisive factor and the draw now setting up a high-profile next round opponent.
