Olympiakos concedes late equalizer to Dynamo
Olympiakos will need to win in Ukraine next week, or at least snatch a 3-3 draw, if it is to go through to the round of 16 of the Europa League, after conceding a late equalizer to Dynamo Kiev for a 2-2 first-leg score in Piraeus on Thursday.
Greece’s sole representative left in Europe was happy to open the score early in the game as captain Costas Fortounis found Ahmed Hassan unmarked and he tried a left-footed shot that found its way to the Dynamo net on the ninth minute.
However a concentration lapse by the Reds’ defense on the 28th allowed Dynamo to spread its game from the right. Costas Tsimikas missed Viktor Tsyhankov, he spotted Tomasz Kedziora who crossed inside the box to Vitaliy Buyalski and he equalized with ease.
Before the first half finished, Olympiakos regained the lead through a moment of class by Gil Dias: Collecting the spills from a corner kick clearance, he chested the ball to try a long-distance volley for the game’s most spectacular goal on the 40th minute.
The Reds had chances for more goals, such as hitting the woodwork with Fortounis after 1-0, and missing a glorious chance with Daniel Podence on the 72nd.
Instead the hosts conceded a second goal one minute from time, as Tsyhankov found Benjamin Verbic and the Slovenian equalized again for the Ukrainians.
The yellow card shown to Olympiakos midfielder Mohamed Camara means he will miss the return leg in Kiev on February 21.
