The week Olympiacos stopped needing to be spectacular
Olympiacos won 1–0 at Panetolikos on Sunday, and the scoreline tells you less than the calendar does. That is five straight wins across all competitions, from Levadiakos 0–1 through the derby against Panathinaikos 1–0 and Marseille 0–1 away (25). No thrashings in that run. Three of the five were by a single goal. Imanol Alguacil's Olympiacos has stopped trying to overwhelm people and started closing games out, and the table now has them third on 13 points from six with a goal difference of +3.
The Fortounis problem is the story of the win
Roka put Olympiacos ahead in the 17th minute at Agrinio, a shot on the move from close range (3) (10) (19). Then Kostas Fortounis came off in the 38th, groin trouble, and the first half ended with Zelson Martins on for him (1) (2). For 21 minutes Olympiacos had the lead and their most creative midfielder. After that they had only the lead. Bassi wasted Panetolikos's best chance before the break, the kind of miss that decides a one-goal afternoon (11). Fortounis is 33 and Olympiacos have already shuffled him in and out of the starting XI this season. Whether the tests come back clean matters more than the three points.
Seven changes and a squad that can absorb them
Alguacil made seven changes from the Marseille match (6) (15). Puerta, Ortega, Pedersen, Tiknizyan, Retsos, Pirola, Froyler and Sa, a back line rebuilt almost from scratch. Olympiacos still kept a clean sheet. That is the argument for the depth of this squad: they can rotate half a team on a Sunday and still take the points. The counter-argument is Puerta, whose error against Panetolikos drew comparisons with the kind of mistake that gets a player benched under Alguacil (12). Mouratilmantzi also missed a clear chance from a Roka cross (13). Efficiency is the gap between this team and comfortable.
The other Olympiacos sides are winning too
Olympiacos K17 beat Panetolikos K17 2–1 at Renti and sit alone at the top of the Super League K17 table, the winner an own goal in the 90th minute (7). The B team came back from 2–0 down at Panthrakikos to draw 2–2, scoring in the 81st and 83rd minute in Komotini (8) (17). Pantos, Zenelaj, Athanasakopoulos and Belevonis are names for the future. Sarantidis, Kolokotronis and Filis delivered the comeback for the second string.
What to watch: Sparta Prague at Karaiskakis
Thursday, October 22, 21:00 CEST, Sparta Prague at home in the Europa League. Olympiacos have already beaten Jagiellonia Bialystok 2–1 and Marseille 0–1 away, and a third win in three would all but settle the league phase argument. If Fortounis is out, the creative load falls on the players who replaced him. Then Kalamata at home on Sunday and Kifisia away on October 31. Twelve days, three competitions, one squad carrying a winning run. The rotation that worked at Agrinio gets tested at Karaiskakis.
