Olympiacos vs. Benfica: Player Critique

By: Peter Katsiris | November 28th, 2008

In arguably the best performance by Olympiacos thus far this season, the Greek Champions thrashed Portuguese side Benfica 5-1 at the Giorgos Karaiskakis stadium in Piraeus. With one side holding a clear edge throughout the match, Peter Katsiris critiques the performance put on by the players of Olympiacos…

Antonis Nikopolidis: The former Greece international was not kept busy, all thanks to supreme defense from the entire Olympiacos squad; however, Nikopolidis was on hand to make saves when necessary. David Luiz managed to beat the man nicknamed ‘Clooney’, but the Greek shotstopper nearly had a hand on Benfica’s only tally on the night. (8.5)

Anastasios Pantos: He kept Jose Antonio Reyes frustrated all evening, as the Greek defender assured little progress was made by the visitors down the left flank. The only mistake on this night was likely his booking just before ten minutes from time. (8)

Paraskevas Antzas: The center of defense was rarely called into action by a Benfica side struggling to find their rhythm in the hostile environment of the Karaiskakis stadium. Nonetheless, Antzas was ready to intervene at any time as his defensive presence continued to provide obstacles for the opposition. (8)

Avraam Papadopoulos: The Melbourne-born Greece international literally bled on the pitch in the first half, but it wasn’t just bleeding that won Papadopoulos praises. With a slow night in terms of defensive duties, Papadopoulos was everything but slow when he slid in to pick the pocket of clear David Suazo. (8)

Didier Domi: Benfica had better fortunes down Domi’s flank, as the Frenchman was not as dominant as his Greek counterpart at the other flank. With Benfica exposing the weaker right flank at times, Domi missed out on joining the wave to wipe-out the Befica attack. (7.5)

Luciano Galletti: His performance was initiated just forty seconds into the match, with an opening goal sending the home supporters into pandemonium. From there, the Argentine contributed from more of a reserved role, but that didn’t stop the former-Atletico Madrid man from stamping his presence on the match. With clever passes to find the likes of Diogo and Belluschi, the Argentine provided just the right tonic to find his teammates in scoring positions. A prime example of Galletti’s hustle on this night came when he chased down a dead-bound ball – which eventually was ruled out of bounds – even with the score as one-sided as it ended. (9)

Christos Patsatzoglou: Not a traditional scorer for the Greek Champions, but Patsatzoglou assured he continued his scoring streak at home, as the Greece international deposited a one-touch volley for Olympiacos’ second goal of the night. There were more than just offensive attributes to the Greek’s game, as his opponents were not allowed any breathing room with the defensive effort given. (8.5)

Dudu Cearense: Known more for his defensive work than the dynamic displays shown by his fellow South Americans at the other end, Dudu was nonetheless consistent in his work. Adding to the Benfica misery with his solidity, the Brazilian was just one part of a blockade halting the Benfica attack. (8)

Predrag Djordjevic: The Olympiacos captain was quiet, but his experience and leadership surely spoke volumes to his teammates. With the hosts comfortable with the inflated lead as early as the twenty-fifth minute mark, the Serbian was surely the focus point for a side not distracted by their large margin of victory. (8)

Fernando Belluschi: The Argentine, despite tallying just before the interval, was more active in assisting his teammates score goals. His prime solitary effort came when he chipped a slick pass to tee up a goal for Patsatzoglou. His footwork continued to frustrate Benfica defenders, especially in the second half when he deked past one defender and with a cheeky cross nearly picked out a diving Diogo for a goal – unfortunately the targeted striker was interfered with inside the box. Other than that, there were many occasions where the former River Plate midfielder, especially when he combined with patriot Galletti and Brazilian starlet Diogo, displayed his offensive attributes naturally towards goal. One part of a triple threat, Belluschi played a supreme role in Olympiacos’ thumping triumph. (9)

Diogo Luis Santo: After declaring he was upset with his personal performance ahead of the match, Diogo surely lived up to his summer hype on Thursday night. With two goals just the beginning of the story, every aspect of Diogo’s game which makes him such a commodity to Olympiacos’ hopes of success were displayed. A killer first touch, combined with vision allowing him to accurately find the like of a surging Galletti, made the former Portuguesa too much of a handful to handle. With performances such as Thursday night’s, there is no wonder why scouts from premier clubs across the continent have made visits to the outskirts of the Greek capital. (9)

Substitutes:

Sebastian Leto: A replacement for Galletti, it was never expected of Leto to reproduce the same performance displayed by the retreated Galletti. The Argentine still managed to hold a solid role in the Olympiacos attack, yet there was no convction for the hosts in the final half hour or so. (6.5)

Darko Kovacevic: Surely upset he was not part of the feast of goals, the Kovacevic seemed possessed by his hunger to score. He had one clear opportunity to extend the lead to five, but Quim offered a save which kept the score as close as four goals. The Serbian also showed some selfish play, as he continuously hogged the ball around the Benfica box – resulting in a turnover instantly. (6)

Oscar: N/A