UEFA Champions League Gameweek 1
Olympiakos Piraeus 0 - 0 FT Pafos
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Futmetrix Verdict
52
FT
Sat, Sep 19
Brighton
3-0
Arsenal
⚡ Intensity
37
⚖️ Balance
17
🏆 Stakes
70
🎲 Upset
80
Brighton dismantle league leaders Arsenal.
Futmetrix Verdict
55
FT
Sun, Sep 20
Gamba Osaka
0-1
Vissel Kobe
⚡ Intensity
40
⚖️ Balance
20
🏆 Stakes
78
🎲 Upset
0
Erik breaks Gamba hearts at 90'
Futmetrix Verdict
100
FT
Sun, Sep 20
Machida Zelvia
2-4
Kashiwa Reysol
⚡ Intensity
100
⚖️ Balance
78
🏆 Stakes
100
🎲 Upset
12
Kashiwa Reysol conquer Machida in away thriller
Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Expected Goals (xG)
Passes
Pass Accuracy
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
Bruno 15'
20' Dani García
Bruno 25'
Bruno 25'
↓ L. Dimata ↑M. Orsic 33'
↓ David Luiz ↑K. Pileas 33'
36' Lorenzo Pirola
HT
46' ↓ G. Strefezza ↑M. Taremi
46' ↓ D. Garcia ↑C. Mouzakitis
61' ↓ Rodinei ↑Costinha
70' Mehdi Taremi
72' Mehdi Taremi
75' ↓ L. Pirola ↑G. Biancone
75' ↓ S. Hezze ↑S. Pnevmonidis
↓ Jaja ↑K. Sema 76'
↓ J. Correia ↑B. Langa 76'
↓ V. Dragomir ↑Anderson Silva 85'
Bruno Langa 88'
FT
Player Cards
Our take on every player in this match
Olympiakos Piraeus
Goalkeepers
Alexandros Paschalakis 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Rodinei 
ARCHITECT
2
Key Passes
2
Key Passes
0
Assists
27%
Pass Acc
Panagiotis Retsos 
MAGNET
87
Activity
87
Activity
84
Passes
3
Duels
Lorenzo Pirola
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
76
Total Mins
75
Entry
Francisco Ortega 
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Midfielders
Santiago Hezze 
ENFORCER
4
Tackles
4
Tackles
5
Duels Won
71%
Win %
Dani García
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
46
Entry
Gabriel Strefezza 
PROVOCATEUR
3
Fouls Won
3
Fouls Won
3
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Chiquinho
ARCHITECT
4
Key Passes
4
Key Passes
0
Assists
34%
Pass Acc
Daniel Podence
ARCHITECT
4
Key Passes
4
Key Passes
0
Assists
32%
Pass Acc
Forwards
Ayoub El Kaabi
STORMTROOPER
3
Shots
3
Shots
0
Goals
1
On Target
BENCH
Georgios Kouraklis 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
A. Exarchos
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Giulian Biancone
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Alexandros Kalogeropoulos
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Costinha
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
29
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Bruno Onyemaechi
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Diogo Nascimento
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Lorenzo Scipioni
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Christos Mouzakitis
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
0
Assists
25%
Pass Acc
S. Pnevmonidis
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
15
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Mehdi Taremi
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Pafos
Goalkeepers
Neofytos Michael
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Bruno Felipe 
FRIENDLY FIRE
Red Card
Mistake
Red Card
Mistake
3
Fouls
4.2
Rating
Derrick Luckassen 
SHIELD
3
Blocks
3
Blocks
0
Interceptions
0
Tackles
David Luiz
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
34
Total Mins
33
Entry
João Correia
PROVOCATEUR
2
Fouls Won
2
Fouls Won
4
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Midfielders
David Goldar
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jajá
PROVOCATEUR
5
Fouls Won
5
Fouls Won
9
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Ivan Šunjić
ENFORCER
4
Tackles
4
Tackles
6
Duels Won
75%
Win %
Pêpê
PROVOCATEUR
3
Fouls Won
3
Fouls Won
5
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Vlad Dragomir
LATE SHIFT
5
Late Mins
5
Late Mins
86
Total Mins
85
Entry
Forwards
Landry Dimata
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
33
Total Mins
33
Entry
BENCH
Jay Gorter
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Petros Petrou
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Kostas Pileas
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
56
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Bruno Langa
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
13
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Domingos Quina
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ken Sema
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
13
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Mislav Oršić
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
57
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Anderson Silva
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
11
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching
Olympiakos Piraeus
Pafos
Olympiakos Piraeus
Pafos
Olympiakos Dominance Meets Pafos Defiance in Champions League Stalemate
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 30/100. In a match that exposed the gulf between possession and clinical finishing, Olympiakos controlled the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium but lacked the Intensity in the final third to break down a resolute Pafos side fighting with ten men for over an hour.
Possession Mastery, Finishing Famine
From the opening whistle, Lorenzo Pirola and Olympiakos orchestrated a suffocating display of dominance. The hosts commanded 69% possession, fired 18 shots (13 inside the box), and created a barrage of opportunities that should have buried Pafos. Yet the Cyprus visitors—reduced to ten men in the 25th minute when Bruno received a straight red for a reckless foul—demonstrated Balance and organisation that bordered on the miraculous. Pirola's outstanding 7.7 rating reflected a defender forced into creative duty, registering a key pass in a match where his team dominated but couldn't convert.
Red Card Chaos and VAR Redemption
The turning point arrived early. Bruno's dismissal should have handed Olympiakos a gift-wrapped victory. Instead, Pafos dug in with the discipline of a team fighting for their Champions League lives. Pêpê orchestrated the midfield with surgical precision (7.6 rating, two key passes), while Derrick Luckassen stood immovable at the back (7.5 rating). Then came the drama: in the 70th minute, VAR cancelled a red card for Mehdi Taremi, robbing Olympiakos of a potential numerical advantage they'd already squandered. The hosts registered just 1.52 xG despite their territorial stranglehold—a damning indictment of their Stakes in the final third.
A Pyrrhic Possession Victory
Pafos arrived at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium fourth in the league table with four wins from seven games—a team in form. They left with a point earned through attrition, not artistry. Their 0.30 xG and solitary shot on target told the story of a side defending for their lives. Olympiakos, despite 533 passes and nine corners, couldn't find the killer blow. The 0-0 draw represents a missed opportunity for the hosts and a moral victory for the visitors—though neither team will celebrate what was ultimately a failure of execution.
Key Questions
How did the red card for Bruno impact the match?
Bruno's 25th-minute dismissal handed Olympiakos numerical advantage, yet the hosts failed to capitalise, registering just 1.52 xG despite 69% possession. Pafos' defensive discipline neutralised the advantage.
How did VAR change this match?
VAR cancelled Taremi's 70th-minute red card, preventing Olympiakos from gaining a second numerical advantage. The intervention preserved Pafos' resilience but robbed the hosts of a potential breakthrough.
What is the Futmetrix Score?
The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.
Archive note: this preview was written after the match was played.
European Lifeline at Stake in Piraeus
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 9/100. This clash represents a desperate scramble for the points needed to break into the top-24 playoff positions before the trapdoor of elimination closes.
The Setup
On September 17, 2025, the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium will host a match where the Stakes couldn't be clearer. Both Olympiakos Piraeus and Pafos find themselves languishing in the bottom tier of the Champions League table, occupying 29th and 26th places respectively. With the new league format punishing slow starts, the home side's Form—showing three losses in their last five outings—has left them vulnerable. Pafos haven't fared much better, struggling for goals and failing to find consistency. For both clubs, this isn't about chasing the top eight; it is about keeping their continental campaign alive beyond the winter break.
Key Battle
Without individual Stars dominating the narrative, the outcome will be decided by the tactical Balance between the Olympiakos midfield and the Pafos defensive block. The home side will likely attempt to control possession and break down a visitor side that has conceded nine goals in six games. Pafos will rely on a disciplined low block, hoping to exploit the defensive fragility that has seen Olympiakos ship 13 goals so far this season. It is a battle of nerves rather than individual brilliance, where a single mistake in transition could dictate the entire evening.
Our Prediction
Expect a gritty, physical encounter dominated by fear of defeat. Olympiakos should carry the initiative, but their lack of clinical finishing suggests a low-scoring game. We foresee a narrow 1-0 victory for the Greek giants, secured by a late set-piece or a forced error in the final third as the visitors tire under sustained pressure.