Olympiacos stuns with epic comeback, overturns Maccabi Tel Aviv to reach Europa Conference League quarter-finals

Olympiacos achieved the greatest comeback in its 99-year history and has secured a spot in the Conference League quarterfinals! They triumphed in extra time with a remarkable 6-1 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv in Serbia, overturning the 4-1 deficit from the first leg. As the afternoon of Friday approaches, they eagerly await their opponent in the quarterfinals.

It was a legendary night, a magical evening. Olympiacos, fierce and formidable, dismantled Maccabi Tel Aviv. They left them in the dust with a stunning 6-1 victory on the eve of their coach's birthday, José Luis Mendilibar (born on March 14, 1961), making history and possibly pulling off one of the greatest comebacks, erasing a 1-4 deficit to secure a spot among the top 8 teams in the Conference League for the first time.

Olympiacos was clearly on the hunt for an early goal. The first chance of the match came in the opening minute with a shot from André Horta that was deflected for a corner. In the 9th minute, Horta tried his luck again with a shot that went wide.

Podence came out firing and scored early in the match

In the 11th minute, Daniel Podence opened the scoring with a shot that struck the post and found the net after a steal and pass from Konstantinos Fortounis. In the 17th minute, Podence attempted a cross that was blocked for a corner.

In the 25th minute, Ayoub El Kaabi had a significant chance with a shot that was saved. Then, Chiquinho had a shot that went wide, resulting in a corner. In the 36th minute, Podence stole the ball and passed it to Fortounis, who, with an excellent move and shot, made it 0-2. As the clock ticked towards the 44th minute, Podence attempted a shot that missed the target.

Unbelievably, just before half-time, El Kaabi scored, making it 0-3. The second half saw Maccabi scoring to narrow the gap. Initially, Rodinei's attempt in the 50th minute was deflected for a corner. However, a penalty was awarded in the 55th minute for a foul by Panagiotis Retsos, and Eran Zahavi converted it into a goal in the 57th minute, making it 1-3.

A spectacular goal by El Kaabi boosted Olympiacos' morale

In the 65th minute, El Kaabi scored a sensational bicycle kick after Francisco Ortega's cross, extending the lead to 1-4. In the 69th minute, Podence found space but opted for a shot that went wide.

In the 77th minute, Daniel Peretz missed a great opportunity with a header. In injury time, Stevan Jovetić missed a one-on-one chance after a setup by El Kaabi. A corner by Fortounis at the end found Jovetić's header going wide, and the game went into extra time.

Olympiacos continued their dominance in extra time. In the 93rd minute, Jovetić scored from close range after a foul by Fortounis, who had won the ball from Pontense. In the 96th minute, Konstantinos Tzolakis blocked Zahavi's header.

In the 104th minute, Olympiacos added a sixth goal courtesy of Youssef El Arabi, making it 1-6 in an incredible display. In the 119th minute, El Arabi scored a stunning goal, dribbling past defenders, but it was ruled offside. The final 1-6 victory was triumphant and unprecedented.

MVP: Podence. The Portuguese magician of Olympiacos, with a goal and two assists in the first half, was instrumental in the victory.

What Olympiacos accomplished tonight is unprecedented. They overturned the 1-4 deficit from the first leg, knocked out an Israeli team for the first time in their history, and secured a spot in the top 8 teams of the Conference League for the first time.