Olympiakos completes double, winning Cup in extra time
Spanish midfielder David Fuster scored one minute before the end of extra time to decide the Greek Cup final in Olympiakos?s favor with a 2-1 score over Atromitos after an entertaining match at the Olympic Stadium of Athens on Saturday.
The Reds therefore completed a league-and-cup double, the best possible conclusion to the career of coach Ernesto Valverde on the team?s bench.
Atromitos proved a mighty opponent for the favorite of the final and gave the champion a good run for its money in front of some 55,000 fans.
Olympiakos played a decent first half and earned a penalty in the 26th minute. Jose Holebas took the kick but curled the ball next to the wrong side of the post with the Atromitos goalkeeper Charles Itandje beaten.
It was not long, though, before Olympiakos took the lead, as in the 29th minute Rafik Djebbour met a Yiannis Maniatis cross from the right and shot the ball past a stranded Itandje.
The second half was completely different in that Olympiakos sat back and allowed Atromitos to start testing its defense.
In one of the chances that fell to the Peristeri side, Matias Iglesias got the ball three meters inside the area and scored as his shot came off Holebas?s arm to beat Olympiakos keeper Roy Carroll.
The match went to extra time which Olympiakos dominated, yet the Reds had to wait until the 119th minute to score.
Vassilis Torosidis crossed from the right and Fuster rushed in front of the Atromitos central defenders to head the ball past Itandje.
This was the 15th double in Olympiakos?s history.
