Olympiacos 2-0 Bayer Leverkusen: Greek side boost hopes of Champions League qualification

Michael Emons

BBC Sport journalist

Olympiacos kept alive their hopes of advancing in the Champions League as first-half goals from Costinha and Mehdi Taremi saw off Bayer Leverkusen.

The Greek side took a second-minute lead as Costinha powered in a header when unmarked at the near post to connect with Rodinei's outswinging corner.

Leverkusen had a glorious chance to equalise but former Real Madrid full-back Lucas Vazquez failed to score from six yards out as he fired wastefully over.

That proved costly as shortly afterwards Taremi made it 2-0 to the hosts when he raced on to Rodinei's through ball and took a touch before blasting the ball past Janis Blaswich.

Leverkusen are 19th in the Champions League table with nine points with Olympiacos one point behind in 22nd.

Sides that finish between ninth and 24th will take part in February's two-legged knockout play-offs and both of these teams need to win their final games in the league phase to advance.

Leverkusen entertain already-eliminated Villarreal on 28 January with Olympiacos travelling to the Netherlands to take on Ajax, another side that will be hoping to finish in the top 24.

UEFA Champions League Scores & Fixtures

Tuesday 20th January

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UEFA Champions League Table

On Tuesday 20th January

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Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Goals For	Goals Against	Goal Difference	Points	Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first
1 Arsenal	7	7	0	0	20	2	18	21	Result Win Result Win Result Win Result Win Result Win Result Win
2 Real Madrid	7	5	0	2	19	8	11	15	Result Win Result Win Result Loss Result Win Result Loss Result Win
3 Bayern Munich	6	5	0	1	18	7	11	15	Result Win Result Win Result Win Result Win Result Loss Result Win
4 Tottenham Hotspur	7	4	2	1	15	7	8	14	Result Draw Result Draw Result Win Result Loss Result Win Result Win
5 Paris Saint-Germain	7	4	1	2	20	10	10	13	Result Win Result Win Result Loss Result Win Result Draw Result Loss
6 Sporting CP	7	4	1	2	14	9	5	13	Result Loss Result Win Result Draw Result Win Result Loss Result Win
7 Manchester City	7	4	1	2	13	9	4	13	Result Draw Result Win Result Win Result Loss Result Win Result Loss
8 Atalanta	6	4	1	1	8	6	2	13	Result Loss Result Win Result Draw Result Win Result Win Result Win
9 Inter Milan	7	4	0	3	13	7	6	12	Result Win Result Win Result Win Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss
10 Atletico Madrid	6	4	0	2	15	12	3	12	Result Loss Result Win Result Loss Result Win Result Win Result Win
11 Liverpool	6	4	0	2	11	8	3	12	Result Win Result Loss Result Win Result Win Result Loss Result Win
12 Borussia Dortmund	7	3	2	2	19	15	4	11	Result Win Result Win Result Loss Result Win Result Draw Result Loss
13 Newcastle United	6	3	1	2	13	6	7	10	Result Loss Result Win Result Win Result Win Result Loss Result Draw
14 Chelsea	6	3	1	2	13	8	5	10	Result Loss Result Win Result Win Result Draw Result Win Result Loss
15 Barcelona	6	3	1	2	14	11	3	10	Result Win Result Loss Result Win Result Draw Result Loss Result Win
16 Marseille	6	3	0	3	11	8	3	9	Result Loss Result Win Result Loss Result Loss Result Win Result Win
17 Juventus	6	2	3	1	12	10	2	9	Result Draw Result Draw Result Loss Result Draw Result Win Result Win
18 Galatasaray	6	3	0	3	8	8	0	9	Result Loss Result Win Result Win Result Win Result Loss Result Loss
19 Bayer Leverkusen	7	2	3	2	10	14	-4	9	Result Draw Result Loss Result Win Result Win Result Draw Result Loss
20 Monaco	7	2	3	2	8	14	-6	9	Result Draw Result Draw Result Win Result Draw Result Win Result Loss
21 PSV	6	2	2	2	15	11	4	8	Result Loss Result Draw Result Win Result Draw Result Win Result Loss
22 Olympiakos	7	2	2	3	8	13	-5	8	Result Loss Result Loss Result Draw Result Loss Result Win Result Win
23 Napoli	7	2	2	3	7	12	-5	8	Result Win Result Loss Result Draw Result Win Result Loss Result Draw
24 Copenhagen	7	2	2	3	11	17	-6	8	Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss Result Win Result Win Result Draw
25 Qarabağ	6	2	1	3	10	13	-3	7	Result Win Result Win Result Loss Result Draw Result Loss Result Loss
26 Club Brugge	7	2	1	4	12	17	-5	7	Result Loss Result Loss Result Draw Result Loss Result Loss Result Win
27 Bodø / Glimt	7	1	3	3	12	14	-2	6	Result Draw Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss Result Draw Result Win
28 Benfica	6	2	0	4	6	8	-2	6	Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss Result Win Result Win
29 Pafos	6	1	3	2	4	9	-5	6	Result Draw Result Loss Result Draw Result Win Result Draw Result Loss
30 Union Saint-Gilloise	6	2	0	4	7	15	-8	6	Result Win Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss Result Win Result Loss
31 Ajax	7	2	0	5	7	19	-12	6	Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss Result Win Result Win
32 Athletic Club	6	1	2	3	4	9	-5	5	Result Loss Result Loss Result Win Result Loss Result Draw Result Draw
33 Eintracht Frankfurt	6	1	1	4	8	16	-8	4	Result Win Result Loss Result Loss Result Draw Result Loss Result Loss
34 Slavia Prague	6	0	3	3	2	11	-9	3	Result Draw Result Loss Result Draw Result Loss Result Draw Result Loss
35 Villarreal	7	0	1	6	5	15	-10	1	Result Draw Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss
36 Kairat	7	0	1	6	5	19	-14	1	Result Loss Result Draw Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss

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Key

Position 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8: 8th Finals
Position 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24: Play-off

Last Updated 20th January 2026 at 22:00

Please Note: All times UK. Tables are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made.

NEW

Select a player in the formation diagram to view detailed performance statsSelect a player to see detailed performance stats, like xG, shots on target and distance covered

home team,Olympiakos

Manager:José Luis Mendilibar

Formation:4 - 2 - 3 - 1

Substitutes

home team,Olympiakos

away team,Bayer Leverkusen

Manager:Kasper Hjulmand

Formation:3 - 4 - 2 - 1

home team,Olympiakos

Manager:José Luis Mendilibar

Formation:4 - 2 - 3 - 1

Substitutes

Match Officials

Referee:: Maurizio Mariani
Video Assistant Referee:: Marco Di Bello
Assistant Referee 1:: Daniele Bindoni
Assistant Referee 2:: Stefano Alassio
Fourth Official:: Matteo Marchetti
Assistant VAR Official:: Luca Pairetto

Match momentum

Graph view
Table view

Match momentum measures the swing of the match by comparing each team’s threat to see who is more likely to score within that minute. The momentum value is the difference between each team’s most dangerous moment, or team threat, in that minute.

Minute	Team with most threat
Kick off 1'	Bayer Leverkusen
2'	OlympiakosGoal
3'	Olympiakos
4'	Olympiakos
5'	Olympiakos
6'	Olympiakos
7'	Olympiakos
8'	Olympiakos
9'	Bayer Leverkusen
10'	Olympiakos
11'	Bayer Leverkusen
12'	Bayer Leverkusen
13'	Bayer Leverkusen
14'	Olympiakos
15'	Olympiakos
16'	Olympiakos
17'	Bayer Leverkusen
18'	Bayer Leverkusen
19'	Bayer Leverkusen
20'	Olympiakos
21'	Olympiakos
22'	Olympiakos
23'	Olympiakos
24'	Bayer Leverkusen
25'	Bayer Leverkusen
26'	Bayer Leverkusen
27'	Bayer Leverkusen
28'	Bayer Leverkusen
29'	Bayer Leverkusen
30'	Olympiakos
31'	Olympiakos
32'	Olympiakos
33'	Olympiakos
34'	Olympiakos
35'	Olympiakos
36'	Bayer Leverkusen
37'	Bayer Leverkusen
38'	Olympiakos
39'	Olympiakos
40'	Olympiakos
41'	Bayer Leverkusen
42'	Bayer Leverkusen
43'	Olympiakos
44'	Bayer Leverkusen
45'	Bayer Leverkusen
45'+1	Bayer LeverkusenGoal
45'+2	Olympiakos
Half time 45'+3	Olympiakos
46'	Olympiakos
47'	Olympiakos
48'	Bayer Leverkusen
49'	Bayer Leverkusen
50'	Bayer Leverkusen
51'	Bayer Leverkusen
52'	Olympiakos
53'	Bayer Leverkusen
54'	Bayer Leverkusen
55'	Bayer Leverkusen
56'	Bayer Leverkusen
57'	Olympiakos
58'	Olympiakos
59'	Olympiakos
60'	Olympiakos
61'	Olympiakos
62'	Bayer Leverkusen
63'	Olympiakos
64'	Olympiakos
65'	Bayer Leverkusen
66'	Bayer Leverkusen
67'	Bayer Leverkusen
68'	Bayer Leverkusen
69'	Bayer Leverkusen
70'	Bayer Leverkusen
71'	Bayer Leverkusen
72'	Bayer Leverkusen
73'	Bayer Leverkusen
74'	Bayer Leverkusen
75'	Bayer Leverkusen
76'	Bayer Leverkusen
77'	Olympiakos
78'	Olympiakos
79'	Bayer Leverkusen
80'	Bayer Leverkusen
81'	Bayer Leverkusen
82'	Bayer Leverkusen
83'	Bayer Leverkusen
84'	Bayer Leverkusen
85'	Bayer Leverkusen
86'	Bayer Leverkusen
87'	Bayer Leverkusen
88'	Bayer Leverkusen
89'	Bayer Leverkusen
90'	Bayer Leverkusen
90'+1	Bayer Leverkusen
90'+2	Bayer Leverkusen
90'+3	Bayer Leverkusen
90'+4	Bayer Leverkusen
90'+5	Bayer Leverkusen
Full time 90'+6	Bayer Leverkusen

Match Stats

Overall possession

Total touches inside the opposition box

In-depth match stats

Attack

Expected

Distribution

Defence

Season so far

UEFA Champions League

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Goals scored

Passing accuracy %

Form guide

All competitions

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0

2

Cup

v Hoffenheim

1

0

Bundesliga

v Atromitos

0

2

Super League 1

v Stuttgart

1

4

Bundesliga

v OFI

3

0

Super Cup

v RB Leipzig

1

3

Bundesliga

v Kifisia

1

Super League 1

v Köln

2

0

Bundesliga

v Iraklis 1908

6

0

Cup

v Newcastle United

2

UEFA Champions League

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All competitions

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UEFA Champions League

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Match Facts

Olympiakos and Bayer Leverkusen faced twice in the UEFA Champions League 2002-03 first group stage – the Greek side won 6-2 at home before a 2-0 win for Leverkusen at the BayArena.
Bayer Leverkusen are winless in their last three away major European trips to Greece (D1 L2) since beating Panathinaikos 4-1 in the Cup Winners’ Cup in October 1993.
Olympiakos’ most goals in a UEFA Champions League game and biggest win margin was in a 6-2 win over Bayer Leverkusen in September 2002. Since then, the Greek side have averaged 1.1 goals per game (110 goals in 101 games), netting more than three in just one game (4-2 vs Malmö FF in December 2014).
After 10 winless UEFA Champions League games (D2 L8), Olympiakos won 1-0 on MD6 against Kairat. The last time the Greek side ended a 10+ game winless run in the competition (13 games between November 2015 and November 2019), they won back-to-back matches, beating Crvena Zvezda and Marseille 1-0.
Bayer Leverkusen are unbeaten in their last 19 major European matches against sides from outside Europe’s big-five leagues (W14 D5) since a 3-0 defeat to Portugal’s FC Porto in October 2022.
Olympiakos have had 89 shots in six UEFA Champions League matches this season, an average of 14.8 per game which is their highest Opta has on record since 2003-04. They’re averaging 4.7 shots on target per game (28 in 6 games), their best since 2014-15 (33 in 6 games, 5.5 per game).
Across MD4, MD5 and MD6 in this season’s UEFA Champions League, only three sides conceded fewer goals than Bayer Leverkusen (2). However, their opponents underperformed their xG by 3.5 goals in these matches (5.5 xG), with only Galatasaray’s opponents underperforming more (-4.2). By contrast, in this timeframe Olympiakos’ opponents have overperformed their xG the most (2.2 xG, 5 goals, +2.8).
Only two players – Vitinha (97) and Joey Veerman (95) – have made more line-breaking passes than Bayer Leverkusen’s Aleix García (85) in the UEFA Champions League this season. If the Spaniard plays in this match, he’ll come up against former manager José Luis Mendilibar, who he played under during his time with Eibar.
Based on the xG of shots on target faced (excluding own goals), Olympiakos’ Konstantinos Tzolakis is the worst-performing shot stopper in the UEFA Champions League this season, conceding four goals more than expected (13 conceded from 9 xG on target).
Malik Tillman has averaged 71.4 high-intensity pressures per 90 in the UEFA Champions League this season; the most of any player (min. 300 minutes played). Meanwhile, teammate Christian Kofane has averaged the most per 90 of any striker in this season’s tournament (68.6).

Live Text

Postat 90 minutes plus 6
Match ends, Olympiakos 2, Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0.
Full Timeat 90 minutes plus 6
Second Half ends, Olympiakos 2, Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0.
Postat 90 minutes plus 5
Offside, Olympiakos. Ayoub El Kaabi is caught offside.
Postat 90 minutes
Fourth official has announced 5 minutes of added time.
Postat 90 minutes
Attempt missed. Aleix García (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right following a corner.
Postat 89 minutes
Corner, Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Conceded by Santiago Hezze.
Postat 88 minutes
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Postat 87 minutes
Delay in match because of an injury Konstantinos Tzolakis (Olympiakos).
Postat 86 minutes
Jarell Quansah (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Postat 86 minutes
Foul by Santiago Hezze (Olympiakos).
Postat 85 minutes
Ezequiél Fernández (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Postat 85 minutes
Foul by Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos).
Postat 84 minutes
Attempt blocked. Malik Tillman (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Montrell Culbreath.
Substitutionat 82 minutes
Substitution, Olympiakos. Lorenzo Scipioni replaces Chiquinho because of an injury.
Substitutionat 81 minutes
Substitution, Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Montrell Culbreath replaces Ernest Poku.
Postat 81 minutes
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Postat 80 minutes
Delay in match because of an injury Chiquinho (Olympiakos).
Postat 80 minutes
Attempt saved. Patrik Schick (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Konstantinos Tzolakis (Olympiakos). Assisted by Arthur.
Substitutionat 79 minutes
Substitution, Olympiakos. Bruno Onyemaechi replaces Gelson Martins.
Substitutionat 74 minutes
Substitution, Olympiakos. Ayoub El Kaabi replaces Mehdi Taremi.

Key Events

Olympiakos

Bayer Leverkusen

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UEFA Champions League Scores & Fixtures

Tuesday 20th January

UEFA Champions League Table

Key

Team Lineups

home team,Olympiakos

Pitch Formation

Starting lineup

Substitutes

home team,Olympiakos

away team,Bayer Leverkusen

Pitch Formation

Starting lineup

away team,Bayer Leverkusen

home team,Olympiakos

Pitch Formation

Starting lineup

Substitutes

away team,Bayer Leverkusen

Pitch Formation

Starting lineup

Substitutes

Match Officials

Match momentum

Match Stats

Basic Stats

Overall possession

xG

Shots

Shots on target

Total touches inside the opposition box

Goalkeeper saves

Aerial duels won

Fouls committed

Corners

In-depth match stats

Attack

Shots

Shots on target

Shots off target

Attempts out of box

Total offsides

Expected

xG

xG from open play

xG from set play

xA

Distribution

Total passes

Pass accuracy %

Backward passes

Forward passes

Total long balls

Successful final third passes

Total crosses

Defence

Total tackles

Won tackle %

Fouls committed

Total yellow cards

Total clearances

Season so far

Goals scored

Form guide

Previous meetings

Played2

Previous scores

UEFA Champions League

Match Facts

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