Olympiacos kept their UEFA Champions League hopes alive with an impressive 2-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, bringing Die Werkself’s 19-game unbeaten run against non–top-five-league opposition to an end.

The Greek champions came into the match buoyed by a hard-fought 1-0 win over Kairat Almaty on the previous matchday, a result that had snapped a 10-game winless streak in the competition. That victory appeared to restore belief, and Olympiacos wasted no time in capitalising on their momentum.

Inside just two minutes, Costinha opened the scoring, rising highest to head home a vicious outswinging corner from Rodinei. It was the defender’s first goal in two years and set the tone for a raucous evening in Piraeus.

Leverkusen responded as expected and almost equalised from a corner of their own, when the ball dropped kindly for Loïc Badé, but his effort lacked the power to beat an unsighted Konstantinos Tzolakis. The Olympiacos goalkeeper was soon called into action again, denying Lucas Vázquez at his near post before producing a superb low save to his right to keep out Alejandro Grimaldo’s driven effort following a neat lay-off from Badé.

Tzolakis was at his very best just before the break, blocking Christian Kofane from point-blank range. Moments later, Olympiacos struck decisively on the counter. Panagiotis Retsos cleared his lines to Rodinei, who surged forward and released Mehdi Taremi. The Iranian striker finished emphatically past Janis Blaswich to double the hosts’ advantage on the stroke of half-time.

The goal left Olympiacos on course for a first victory in 14 meetings with Bundesliga opposition, a run that had previously yielded 12 defeats. Despite the expectation of a Leverkusen comeback, the home side’s intensity and organisation stifled any sustained momentum from the visitors.

Chiquinho nearly made it 3-0 shortly before the hour mark with a direct free-kick, but the contest increasingly became a battle of attrition. Retsos was particularly influential, producing a series of commanding defensive interventions, including a crucial, perfectly timed tackle on Grimaldo.

Leverkusen’s best late chance fell to Patrik Schick, who was sent through by substitute Arthur with 10 minutes remaining, but once again Tzolakis stood firm in a one-on-one situation. Giulian Biancone also played his part off the bench, making a key block to deny Malik Tillman in the 84th minute.

Ultimately, there was no way through for the German side. Both teams now face a tense final matchday, with qualification still in the balance. A win is likely required to reach the 11-point threshold widely viewed as enough for a top-24 finish.

Olympiacos, currently 22nd and just one point behind Leverkusen, may yet fall short, but avoiding defeat away at Ajax could be enough to complete a memorable escape and extend their European adventure.