Reds win but lack any sparkle

Without impressing, Olympiakos beats Nordsjaelland 2-0 in UEFA Cup match in Denmark

Fernando Belluschi (left) fights for the ball with Nordsjaelland’s Patrice Bernier in Olympiakos’s winning match in Denmark.

G. GEORGAKOPOULOS

Olympiakos grabbed a crucial 2-0 away win in Denmark over Nordsjaelland last night that sees it all but through to the group stage of the UEFA Cup.

The Reds (playing in black yesterday as the hosts also wore red) had a rather uninspired performance for most of the tie’s first leg but the introduction of Brazilian striker Diogo at the hour mark helped Olympiakos to gain the edge up front and score a victory against quite a modest Danish side.

Serb striker Darko Kovacevic was a surprise omission from the Greek squad as he was not even on the bench. The lack of firepower was obvious for the 60 minutes that Costas Mitroglou was alone in attack.

After dominating the first 20 minutes, Olympiakos suddenly dropped a gear and saw Nordsjaelland take over. The Danes, who are currently third from bottom in their league, missed three good chances up to the end of the first half, with Jonathan Richter, Martin Bernburg and Issey Nakajima-Farran.

This was another first half this season during which Olympiakos underperformed, raising questions about the strategy that coach Ernesto Valverde seems to be following in matches. His 4-2-3-1 formation at Farum Park proved too defensive for a second-rate opponent such as Nordsjaelland.

However, the entry of Diogo turned the tide in Olympiakos’s favor, with the Brazilian making inroads into the Danish defense.

The 500 Olympiakos fans at the somewhat wet ground were finally given something to cheer about after 73 minutes, when Vassilis Torosidis crossed the ball into the box for Mitroglou, who sent the ball home with a clever flick.

The local side tried to level the score in the next 15 minutes and Bernburg missed a glorious chance three minutes after the goal. The only outcome of the pressure was the red card that defensive midfielder Ieroklis Stoltidis saw in the 89th minute for a second bookable offense. He will miss the return leg in Piraeus on October 2.

Eventually, another run by Diogo from the right caused a storm in the Danish defense and allowed another substitute, Argentine winger Sebastian Leto, to make it 0-2 in the first minute of injury time.

In another UEFA Cup match held yesterday evening, APOEL Nicosia lost 4-1 at home to Germany’s Schalke.

Late last night, Panathinaikos hosted Inter Milan at the Olympic Stadium for the Champions League.