Olympiacos stunned everyone watching in Greece as the little-known team and underdogs won the Europa Conference title after a stunning, extremely late, second-extra-time goal that propelled the Greek team into the spotlight. The Grecians were able to topple the Italians in this exciting winner-takes-all match in the AEK Arena, shocking fans watching on their TVs at home and in person to celebrate at the stadium.
For those who haven’t watched football that much in the past, this would be the ideal intro game. It was fast-paced, interesting, and left drama for the last minute – literally. Let’s check out how this game happened and what it might mean for Olympiacos, and Greek football, moving forward.
Olympiacos vs. Fiorentina – How It Happened
Winners mood! 🔴⚪🏆🇬🇷 pic.twitter.com/fKMjAfu7Ax
— Olympiacos FC (@olympiacosfc) May 30, 2024
Fiorentina had an astounding 17 shots during the game, but only four of them were on frame. In comparison, Olympiacos had six shots in the game, but four of them were on the frame – the accuracy is much higher for the Greek squad, although they had fewer attacking chances during the entire 90 minutes and added time.
Fiorentina had a little bit more possession, coming in at 54%, and putting together 526 passes in the match. Olympiacos was close behind, with 46% possession and 446 passes, showing just how even the game was in the middle and back third of the pitch.
The game was intense, exciting, and aggressive. Olympiacos had ten fouls and four yellow cards, whereas Fiorentina had a whopping 17 fouls and three yellow cards throughout the game.
In the second half, Fiorentina made a substitution to try and bring some more attacking prowess with Nzola in for Belotti and Duncan in for Melo. Similarly, Olympiacos brought in Jovetic took out Fortounis, one of their midfielders, and introduced Horta into the game.
None of the tactical changes paid off until the 116th minute, when Kaabi, the #9 striker for Olympiacos, scored a literal last-minute goal off of a pass from Hezze.
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What the Coaches and Players Said
The Fiorentina coach, Vincenzo, was disappointed with the result but happy with the way his team played. He knew that on another night they could have won, but it just wasn’t in the cards for them on that fateful evening.
“We created chances and had the opportunity to lift the cup but unfortunately it didn’t happen – I’m sorry. In Europe, it’s not an easy thing to get this far and lose.’
Fiorentina had done so well to make it to that stage, being a third-tier team that amassed a huge fan base and had the country’s support rallying behind the club and the players before the final game inside the AEK Stadium.
On the other hand, Jovetic, a veteran striker who plays for Olympiacos, was delighted to win the game, citing it as one of the best moments of his entire career.
‘Amazing, for Olympiacos and me. We did great all year and deserved it. I have to compliment Fiorentina. Losing twice in a row, shame on them.’
Similarly, Retsos, a key defender for Olympiacos in the Greek League, agrees that this is one of the highlights of his entire playing career.
‘It’s the best emotion I’ve felt so far in my career. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs, but I’m very happy to be here.’
About the Author
Emma is an athlete and sports fan who currently plays professional soccer. Growing up, she reached a high level in track and field, distance running, and soccer on both club and university teams.
