Playing an aggressive defence with no deviation for over 90 minutes, Olympiakos Piraeus secured a goalless draw from Barcelona in Day 4 of Champions League, leading the Catalan powerhouse to drop its first points in Group D.
On his return to his former club, Barca coach Ernesto Valverde watched his in-form side dominate for long spells and create some great chances, but the determined home team held on for their first point as they bid for a Europa League spot.
Olympiakos goalkeeper Silvio Proto was a prominent figure in a frenetic and surprisingly open match at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium, coming to the rescue to deny Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez on several occasions.
Barcelona top the section with 10 points, having extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 15 matches with 13 wins and two draws, ahead of Juventus on seven points after their 1-1 draw at Sporting who have four.
Takis Lemonis’ Olympiakos team, who are also struggling in the Greek SuperLeague, finally opened their account as Barca were held to a goalless draw for the first time since April. The absorbed all pressure from Messi and co. dutifully and passionately.
Having secured their first point in the group, Olympiakos have regained some slim chance of securing third place, thus qualifying for the Europa Cup playoffs in February.
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