NEC Nijmegen emerged victorious over Olympiacos with a 2-1 scoreline in their UEFA Champions League qualifier. The match saw NEC demonstrate an attacking approach, particularly in the second half, following a goalless draw in the first leg.
The Dutch side, managed by Dick Schreuder, adopted a 3-1-4-2 formation for the return fixture. This contrasted with Olympiacos, under manager José Luis Mendilibar, who lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. The match officials included referee Maurizio Mariani and video assistant referee Michael Fabbri.
Match Statistics and Performance
NEC displayed a strong offensive performance, recording 16 shots compared to Olympiacos‘s 10. Of these, NEC had 7 shots on target, while Olympiacos managed 2. The home side also had a higher expected goals (xG) value of 1.9202, significantly more than Olympiacos‘s 0.8918. This included 1.9202 xG from open play for NEC, against Olympiacos‘s 0.4513 from open play.
Possession statistics showed NEC with 75.7% pass accuracy from 602 total passes, while Olympiacos had 69.4% accuracy from 509 passes. NEC also had more touches inside the opposition box, with 32 compared to Olympiacos‘s 18. Defensively, Olympiacos made more total tackles with 29 against NEC‘s 17, and committed 19 fouls to NEC‘s 17.
In terms of disciplinary actions, NEC received 2 yellow cards, while Olympiacos received 4. Goalkeeper saves saw Olympiacos‘s keeper make 5 saves, whereas NEC‘s keeper made 1. NEC also won more aerial duels, with 24 to Olympiacos‘s 18.
Team News and Tactical Approach
For NEC, new signing Perr Schuurs and Koki Ogawa, who competed at the World Cup with Japan, were absent from the first leg. Dusan Tadic, a former Southampton player, led the line for NEC in a recent match after joining this summer. In the return leg, Dick Schreuder opted for an attacking lineup, with Philippe Sandler starting against Olympiacos. Gonzalo Crettaz started in goal, supported by a back three of Tobias Storm, Sandler, and Deveron Fonville.
The midfield for NEC featured Sami Ouaissa on the right and Clement Bischoff on the left, with Darko Nejasmic and Noé Lebreton in central midfield. Tjaronn Chery and Tadic were deployed as ‘number tens’ to support striker Linssen, who returned to the starting XI after being on the bench in a previous match against Telstar. Jamiro Monteiro was on the bench to prevent physical overload. Bram Nuytinck, a 36-year-old centre-back, was also back in the squad after recovering from an ankle injury and started on the bench.
Olympiacos‘s lineup included Popovic in goal, with a defensive line of Rodinei, Retsos, Pirola, and Onyemaechi. The midfield featured Dani García and Hezze, while Gelson Martins, Gustavo Sá, João Silva, and El Kaabi were in more advanced roles. Yusuf Yazici remained a long-term injury absentee for Olympiacos due to a cruciate ligament injury sustained in May.
Pre-Match Context and Momentum
The first leg of the qualifier between NEC Nijmegen and Olympiacos ended in a 0-0 draw. NEC had shown a stronger performance in the first leg in terms of shots and Expected Goals. Olympiacos had a challenging pre-season, including defeats to Dutch teams AZ and Ajax. They also fell short in their previous two Champions League qualifying campaigns in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
NEC Nijmegen‘s return to Champions League action followed a third-placed finish in the Eredivisie last season. Despite a 2-1 home loss to Telstar in their opening league match, NEC‘s second-half performance in that game was encouraging, with 18 shots, 76% possession, and 1.56 Expected Goals after half time. The Dutch side had lost only three of their 17 home league games last term and scored 2.41 goals per home game in the Eredivisie last season.
The winner of this two-legged tie will advance to face the winner of the match between FK Bodø/Glimt and Union Sint-Gillis in the Champions League play-offs. The first leg of that fixture concluded with a 3-3 draw.
The match concluded with a final score of N.E.C. 2, Olympiakos 1 on Tuesday, August 11th.
Source: bbc.com
