Four-goal Reds still have work to do

Olympiakos was resourceful in attack but rather careless in defense against PSV Eindhoven on Thursday, securing a 4-2 victory in the first leg of its Europa League Round of 32 in Piraeus.

The Reds will next week take to The Netherlands a significant lead ahead of the second leg, and must be feeling lucky the result went their way after a balanced game.

Five of the six goals came in the first half, with Olympiakos leading from the ninth minute through Andreas Bouchalakis, only for the Dutch to equalize five minutes on due to a unlucky bounce on defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos from an Eran Zahavi shot that beat keeper Jose Sa.

Olympiakos led again on the 37th with Yann M’Vila, but PSV went back on level terms again two minutes later with Zahavi. However the Dutch had no answer to Youssef El-Arabi goal in the first-half injury time, that made it 3-2.

In the second half the visitors came close to equalizing again, hitting the woodwork, but it was the Greek champion that scored again, courtesy of substitute Giorgos Massouras seven minutes from time.

“Nothing’s decided yet, we have to do our job next Thursday to qualify,” warned Bouchalakis after the game, reflecting the situation with precision.