Greek media doubt Olympiakos as NEC threatens Champions League path

Greek media have portrayed the little‑known European side NEC Nijmegen as a favourable opponent for Olympiakos after the goalless upcoming first‑leg draw on Tuesday evening, warning that the Dutch club could block the Piraeus team’s route to the Champions League.

The Greek press framed NEC as a convenient adversary for Olympiakos following the draw. They highlighted the Dutch side’s relative anonymity on the European stage.

National Greek sports newspapers have lowered their tone, now seriously considering that the Nijmegen players could impede Olympiakos’s progress to the Champions League. The possibility of the Dutch side blocking the Greek club’s qualification has entered mainstream commentary.

Fos, Olympiakos’s house newspaper, quoted a critic describing the Piraeus side as clearly not ready and struggling to combine chances. The commentary noted Olympiakos began brightly but lacked good final passes, while after the break the Dutch side became more dangerous and active, with Balsa Popovic helping the Greeks avoid a worse result.

also expressed disappointment, calling Olympiakos ideeless, lacking creativity and being put on the back foot by NEC. The paper added that the Greeks kept a clean sheet thanks to Popovic but failed to exploit their packed home stadium, suggesting they should have taken a lead to the Netherlands.

Sportday observed that the Greeks finished strongly, applying pressure in the closing stages. It said rushed decisions prevented the home side from converting chances and that, despite increased pressure, no goal was scored.

The second leg is scheduled for next week in Nijmegen, giving the Dutch side another opportunity to challenge Olympiakos’s Champions League ambitions.