Olympiakos report - PA

PA Sport, 28 Sept 2004
Olympiakos 1 Liverpool 0

Liverpool's Champions League future was put in serious doubt by an
embarrassing defeat to Olympiakos.

The hosts finished in deep defence, down to 10 men and defiantly
withstanding a late, dramatic surge by Liverpool.

But it would have been harsh had the Greeks not secured only their
second-ever European victory over an English side - the first coming 31
years ago.

Liverpool were a bitter disappointment, lacking passion and fire and
reliant on deep defence with the aim to hit on the break and Olympiakos
deserved the win which Ieroklis Stoltidis' goal gave them.

Stephen Warnock kept his place in midfield with Harry Kewell on the bench
while Milan Baros was the lone striker rather than £14million signing
Djibril Cisse. Luis Garcia was asked to play as a support striker in Rafael
Benitez's favoured 4-4-1-1 formation.

Twice in the opening minutes Baros and Garcia got behind the Greek defence
with their pace, but it was Olympiakos who almost scored on five minutes
and maintained a grip on the opening half to the point that Benitez could
not have got his men off the pitch quickly enough at the break.

The danger signs were there when Ioannis Okkas, the Cypriot winger, got to
the byline on the right, pulled the ball a yard back and hit a stinging
right-foot shot that flicked off Jerzy Dudek's hands and crashed into the
near post.

Liverpool conceded a string of free-kicks and Rivaldo, the former FIFA
World Player of the Year, was quick to punish the visitors.

His 30-yard delivery from the right was met by Stoltidis, who rose above
Sami Hyypia to head down and past Dudek to send the crowd even wilder.

Giovanni then found compatriot Rivaldo in space, and the former Barcelona
star unleashed a tremendous drive from easily 35 yards which flashed past
Dudek's left-hand post with the goalkeeper looking well beaten.

Dudek then almost added to Liverpool's woes with a sliced kick inside his
own box which soared straight up into the air for Grigorios Georgatos to
hook into the six-yard box where the ball bounced off a startled Okkas to
drop a foot wide of the post.

Pantelis Kafes rose to send a headed just over the crossbar as Liverpool
threatened to concede again and Italian referee Pierluigi Collina's whistle
at the break was welcome relief for Liverpool.

Benitez sent on Kewell at the break for Warnock, maybe to protect the
youngster after his early yellow card but also to add much-needed attacking
support to Baros.

Liverpool became more adventurous, Steve Finnan getting away down the right
and only a sharp challenge by Anastasios Pantos stopped the cross coming in
to the unmarked Garcia, and then John Arne Riise saw a 25-yard shot soar
wide from a tapped free-kick.

But even though Rivaldo does not have his pace of old, he was still a
danger and brought the crowd to their feet with a superb nutmeg on Hyypia
that left the Finn flatfooted on the halfway line.

Georgatos fired another long-range effort over the top, while at the other
end veteran Antonios Nikopolidis - hero of Greece's Euro 2004 triumph -
still had not had a genuine shot to save.

The Greeks put on Georgios Georgiadis and Stylianos Venetidis for Giovanni
and Dimitrios Mavrogenidis on 71 minutes, but a more significant change
came with the introduction of Cisse for full-back Josemi two minutes later,
Finnan dropping back.

It at last gave Baros some support, but within a minute Okkas had hit the
Liverpool crossbar with a fine header, the Merseysiders living dangerously now.

Salif Diao came on for a labouring Dietmar Hamann with nine minutes left
and a minute later Olympiakos were reduced to 10 men when Pantos was sent
off for a second yellow card, this time for tugging away at Xabi Alonso's
shirt.

The Greeks sent on Spyridon Vallas for Georgatos with six minutes left,
Olympiakos now forced back by the loss of their full-back. But they were
still quick to break and almost embarrassed Liverpool when Georgiadis got
clear and somehow pulled his shot wide of the far post.

Liverpool threw everything forward in the final pulsating minutes, Finnan
was booked for a foul as was Gabriel Schurrer, but the Greeks hung on for a
famous victory.

Olympiakos: Nikopolidis, Mavrogenidis (Georgiadis 71), Anatolakis,
Schurrer, Pantos, Rivaldo, Stoltidis, Kafes, Georgatos (Vallas 84),
Giovanni (Venetidis 71), Okkas.
Subs Not Used: Giannou, Castillo, Maric, Kostoulas.
Sent Off: Pantos (82).
Booked: Anatolakis, Pantos, Mavrogenidis, Schurrer.
Goals: Stoltidis 17.

Liverpool: Dudek, Josemi (Cisse 73), Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Finnan,
Alonso, Hamann (Diao 82), Warnock (Kewell 46), Luis Garcia, Baros.
Subs Not Used: Kirkland, Traore, Sinama Pongolle, Biscan.
Booked: Warnock, Finnan.

Att: 33,000
Ref: Pierluigi Collina (Italy).