Late Hassan goal sees Reds through to last 16
Olympiakos beat PSV Eindhoven 5-4 on aggregate for the Europa League
Ahmed Hassan’s late strike gave Olympiakos the ticket to the last 16 of the Europa League on Thursday, as the Reds lost 2-1 at PSV Eindhoven on the night but went through thanks to their 4-2 home win a week earlier.
The 5-4 aggregate score shows how tight this pairing was, but also reflects the supremacy of Olympiakos over the two legs, with the Greeks deserving more than one goal in The Netherlands.
Eran Zahavi capitalized on an error by Olympiakos keeper Jose Sa to open the score on the 23rd minute and gave the Dutch side a winning margin one minute before half-time.
In the second half Olympiakos was denied twice by the PSV goal frame, with Mady Camara being unlucky on the 49th minute and Kostas Fortounis on the 79th. The hosts also hit the woodwork four minutes from time.
However the Greeks had the final say, punishing PSV on the 88th minute. Fortounis crossed the ball into the box, Youssef El-Arabi headed it toward the goal, the PSV keeper saved it, but Hassan was there and he scored for Olympiakos the crucial goal that has sent the Reds through to the next knock-out phase of the tournament.
