Olympiacos draws 1-1 with OH Leuven in second pre-season friendly as André Luis strike cancelled out late

First half: visitors dominate early chances

Olympiacos coach José Luis Mendilibar fielded a heavily rotated side in Siedam, Netherlands, for the club’s second pre-season test. The opening 45 minutes offered little joy for the Greek side. OH Leuven were quicker to threaten, with Traoré hitting the outside netting in the 9th minute and then sending a weak shot against the post in the 16th. Goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis had the situation under control on that occasion, but was called into a spectacular save in first-half stoppage time, diving to push away a curling effort from Traoré. Olympiacos created only one clear opportunity in the half: Roman Yaremchuk turned and shot wide from inside the area in the 20th minute. The half also brought a forced change when Clayton limped off with hamstring discomfort after just 6 minutes, replaced by Yaremchuk.

Second half: Luis and Martins swing momentum

A different Olympiacos emerged after the interval as Mendilibar made wholesale changes. The introduction of wingers Gelson Martins and André Luis transformed the attack. Martins danced into the box in the 62nd minute, drawing a save from the Leuven goalkeeper, and moments later the pair combined for the opener. At the 68-minute mark, Martins threaded a diagonal pass to Luis, who controlled the ball, shifted it to his left foot and curled a shot into the far corner for 1-0.

The goal injected purpose, and Olympiacos wasted two chances in a minute to double the lead. In the 71st minute Yaremchuk stole possession in the six-yard box but could not beat the keeper from close range; seconds later a Martins strike was also kept out. The Ukrainian forward had another clear opportunity from inside the area that went wide, and a further Martins attempt flew off target in the closing stages.

Injuries compound pre-season worries

Already without Christos Mouzakitis due to a knock, Olympiacos suffered two more setbacks during the match. Clayton’s early exit was followed by a second enforced substitution shortly after the restart when Spanish midfielder Danny García pulled up in the 54th minute and had to be replaced by Sipioni. Both players will be assessed in the coming hours. Mendilibar used 24 players across the two halves, giving minutes to defenders Šmailović and Stournaras, who impressed with his ball-playing ability and a reflex save from a close-range shot in the 61st minute.

Late header levels the score

Leuven punished Olympiacos for the missed second goal. From a right-wing cross by Schrijvers in the 86th minute, Mourou rose unmarked to head past goalkeeper Stournaras and make it 1-1. The late equaliser prevented Olympiacos from building on their 2-1 win over Raków Częstochowa three days earlier and kept the contest honest. The next scheduled friendly is on 17 July against Fortuna Sittard.