Olympiakos were able to gain a huge advantage in the third round of the Champions League qualification after a 1-0 victory over Istanbul Basaksehir. Despite being on the road, the Greek outfit were able to get this narrow victory that places them in a comfortable position ahead of the second leg. Olympiakos came into the game with a mediocre away record, but they were aware about Istanbul Basaksehir’s troubles when it comes to defending. The latter once again reared the ugly head and the Greek outfit were able to get a narrow win despite being bossed on several fronts like corners, shots on target, and possession.

After a goalless first half, GiorgiosMasouras came up with a goal in the 53rd minute. This acted as an impetus for Olympiakos to hold on to the lead. The hosts became increasingly nervous as the time went on. The likelihood of getting an equaliser decreased substantially when midfielder Irfan Kahveci was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 80th minute. Just when it seemed that things could not get worse for the Turkish team, Edin Višća ended up missing a penalty in the second minute of injury time that would have given Istanbul a huge amount of hope about qualification to the next round.

The job is certainly not over for Olympiakos, who face the return leg in a week. However, the Stadio Georgios Karaiskáki has been a stronghold for Olympiakos. The recent form shown by the Greek team has also been quite good with no defeats in the last three competitive games. Meanwhile, Istanbul Basaksehir have made a poor start to the season with the pre-season alone contributing to a strong winless run. The Turkish team have been involved in two defeats and two draws in the last four pre-season friendly matches.