Leverkusen Vs Olympiacos: Stalemate enough to earn leverkusen vs olympiacos place in last 16
Bayer Leverkusen progressed to the Champions League last 16 after a goalless second leg, a result that summed up the leverkusen vs olympiacos tie. The Bundesliga side carried a 2-0 advantage from the first leg and will face Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the last 16.
Leverkusen Vs Olympiacos match recap
Leading 2-0 from last week’s first leg, Leverkusen dominated the second leg at the BayArena but could not break the deadlock, with Alejandro Grimaldo striking the crossbar midway through the second half after a surging run into the area. The goalless draw secured Leverkusen’s comfortable progress on aggregate, as Patrik Schick’s double in the first leg had already put them in command.
Key moments and missed chances
Leverkusen picked up where they left off after easing to victory in Greece six days earlier, taking control from the first whistle. Within four minutes Schick glanced a header wide after connecting with Grimaldo’s cross. Schick later fluffed an attempted lob of the onrushing Konstantinos Tzolakis. Olympiakos had a rare spell on the front foot when Chiquinho blazed a shot over from the edge of the area, and for the second time this campaign Leverkusen failed to score against Olympiakos, a failure that ultimately did not affect their progress.
Injury doubts and squad absences
Leverkusen face selection headaches after injuries sustained at the weekend. Loïc Badé and Malik Tillman both picked up injuries in the 1-0 defeat at Union Berlin; 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. Malik Tillman is described as doubtful for the second leg after suffering the ankle injury in that Union Berlin game. Tillman was injured in the third minute when Union’s Stanley Nsoki was yellow-carded for a studs-up foul, yet Tillman played on until he was substituted in the 81st minute and was seen limping as he left the stadium. Kaspar Hjulmand commented on Monday: "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. "
Possible lineup changes and absentees
If the USMNT star is not fit to feature, veteran Jonas Hofmann could be drafted into Kasper Hjulmand’s frontline alongside last week’s match-winner Patrik Schick and Ernest Poku. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken is out for the hosts, as are attackers Nathan Tella and Eliesse Ben Seghir. Those absences, combined with the defensive loss of Badé and the uncertainty over Tillman, shaped pre-match selection discussions.
Context, records and what’s next
This qualification is significant in several historical contexts: the last time Leverkusen qualified for the Champions League last 16 in back-to-back seasons was 2015, and this marks only the second time they have reached the last 16 since the 2016/17 season. Leverkusen and Olympiakos have met on four occasions in the competition, each side winning two games apiece; the German side’s only home win to date came in October 2002, a 2-0 victory. Olympiacos’ efficiency had proved key in a previous meeting, but they were unable to make the most of the moments they created last week; the Greek side have not triumphed in a two-legged tie in this competition since the first round of the 1983–84 European Cup. In domestic form, José Luis Mendilibar’s men beat Panetolikos 2-0 at the weekend, while Leverkusen suffered a damaging 1-0 defeat at Union Berlin. A separate domestic result listed was Borussia Mönchengladbach 1–1 Bayer Leverkusen.
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Leverkusen will discover whether they face the Premier League leaders or the reigning Bundesliga champions when the draw for the next round takes place on Friday.
Mike Woitalla has written freelance articles about soccer for more than 30 media outlets in nine nations and has won eight United Soccer Coaches Writing Contest awards.
Closing: A 2-0 first-leg cushion and Patrik Schick’s two goals ensured Bayer Leverkusen advanced after a goalless return leg, with injuries to Loïc Badé and Malik Tillman shaping selection questions ahead of the Friday draw.
