LEVERKUSEN:
Bayer Leverkusen are by to the final 16 of the Champions League after a scoreless house draw with Olympiacos on Tuesday, profitable their play-off spherical tie 2-0 on mixture.
Leverkusen had been under their finest however did simply sufficient to qualify after final week’s snug first-leg win in Greece.
It was the primary time Leverkusen made it by a two-legged Champions League knockout tie since they reached the ultimate in 2002, once they misplaced 2-1 to Actual Madrid.
The 2024 German double winners will face both Premier League leaders Arsenal or German champions Bayern Munich, who eradicated Leverkusen on the final 16 stage final season.
“The sport did not go in any respect like we might imagined. Too sluggish — actually the one constructive is that we stored a clear sheet and we’re by to the following spherical,” a pissed off Leverkusen captain Robert Andrich instructed Amazon Prime.
“We would have liked extra pace, extra chunk, each in opposition to the ball and with it — fortunately the opponent did not punish us.”
Echoing his captain, Leverkusen midfielder Jonas Hofmann mentioned coach Kasper Hjulmand “will in all probability go house and drink a beer out of frustration to clean down that efficiency. There’s no one right here who will be happy with that”.
Leverkusen had not conceded at house in any competitors since early January and had been hardly ever troubled by the energetic however toothless Greek champions.
Olympiacos rested six starters of their Greek Tremendous League match on Saturday within the hopes of reaching the Champions League final 16 for the primary time since 2013-14, once they had been narrowly eradicated by Manchester United.
Looking for to provide his troops just a little additional motivation, billionaire Olympiacos proprietor Evangelos Marinakis — who additionally owns Nottingham Forest — promised an “unprecedented” monetary bonus for reaching the final 16.
Patrik Schick scored twice in three minutes in final week’s opening leg and the Czech striker was within the thick of issues early on, heading simply large and dragging a lob over goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis however previous the far put up inside six minutes.
After that early flurry, Leverkusen had been content material to take a seat again because the match wore on, forcing the guests to try to create one thing.
Leverkusen’s finest likelihood of the match got here halfway by the second half when Alejandro Grimaldo blasted a shot in opposition to the crossbar with Tzolakis overwhelmed.
Proper-back Lucas Vazquez, a Champions League winner with Actual Madrid, limped off late within the second half in the one black mark for the hosts.
