Keys to the Success of Olympiacos Youth League | UEFA Youth Competition

Olympiacos’ victory against AC Milan in the UEFA Youth League final on Monday was the first title win in European club competition for Greek teams.

In the following article, UEFA’s performance analysis team – including match observer Jean-François Domergue – looks at how Olympiacos’ youngsters broke new ground for Greece, highlighting three key components of their 3-0 victory, including the use of the flanks to play and their excellent press play.

Olympiakos builds through full-backs

The first tactical feature that caught the eye was the way they built the play wide, exploiting the space on Milan’s right in the early stages.

Within their 3-5-2 formation, Olympiakos used the full width of the pitch in the build-up – a tactic that initially caused Milan problems. While the front three in Milan’s 4-3-3 put pressure on Olympiacos’ three centre-backs, the Greek side’s left wing-back Nektarios Alafakis posed a dilemma for the Rossoneri as to who should cover him. Initially, Milan right-back Vittorio Magni tried to do this but, as UEFA match observer Jean-François Domergue said: “This left space on that wing”.

The first video shows how much space there is. In clip one we see Magni move high up the pitch to challenge Alafakis, who releases winger Stavros Pnevmonidis into the gap to run towards the centre-backs and create a chance for Antonios Papakanellos.

That was in the ninth minute and within two minutes Olympiacos threatened again on that side – as seen in clip two. This clip shows how wide both Olympiacos full-backs are in a 3-2-2-3 shape as they are built. Once again Magni is pulled out and again Alafakis sends Pnevmonidis down the wing, leading to a 1-on-1 with the goalkeeper.

Milan responded by changing their approach, with right winger Filippo Scotti dropping back to cover Pnevmonidis’ runs and a midfielder stepping up to put pressure on the centre-back. As Domergue noted: “Scotti now drops off to support his full-back.”

For UEFA’s wider performance analysis team, it was interesting to see how Olympiacos used their wing-backs to advance the ball – and the challenge that posed for Milan. After all, the question of how to play through and outside the press is a recurring question in senior club competitions, as this analysis of Borussia Dortmund’s quarter-final against Atlético de Madrid shows last week.

Pressing Olympiacos pays off

Pressing is a prominent feature of the game at elite level in the UEFA Champions League, and in this Youth League final, Olympiacos’ players showed their own admirable ability to influence the game with their pressing. In fact, it was so effective that it helped achieve two of their goals, as shown in the following video.

By pressing high, they were sometimes able to force Milan long. Furthermore, they had two players who performed excellently in midfield roles in Theofanis Bakoulas and Christos Mouzakitis. “Olympiacos had five at the back and only two midfielders, but those two were very influential. They covered the spaces between the lines well and made it difficult for Milan to find their players,” said match observer Domergue.

The first two clips provide examples from the early period when Olympiacos piled on the pressure and forced hasty clearances. The focus of clip three is on the Piraeus team’s counter-pressing in the build-up to the second goal: a trio of Olympiakos players ambush two Milan players and come away with the ball in a move that ends with a goal from Papakanellos.

Finally, in clip four we see their work in the build-up to Bakoulas’ magnificent third goal. This time it’s high pressure from Sotirios Sylaidopoulos’ players, who close down their opponents with speed and don’t let go, winning the ball not once but twice.

Bakoulas told UEFA.com afterwards that Olympiacos’ pressure was the sign of a well-practiced team: “If it is successful, it means that the players communicate well with each other. If you press, you communicate with your teammates, go for short passes , and move as a whole.”

Olympiakos coach Sylaidopoulos added his own assessment: “Our performance was really good in all facets of the game: defending, attacking transitions, pressing.

“Pressing is one of our strongest points as a team,” he continued, “but it’s not just about pressing. For me sometimes we talk about individuals and about skills, but for me the team spirit was great in all the matches we played. When we talk about a team sport, we have to involve the heart and the team spirit, and that sometimes makes the difference in these types of competitions.”

Sina keeps Milan out

As their coach said above, Olympiacos’ determination was in abundance in Nyon – and their defiance was epitomized by their goalkeeper, Antzelo Sina. As match observer Domergue noted, this was a team undefeated in this season’s competition and showing an “impressive will to win” all over the pitch – and none more so than Sina, who set up a comfortable-looking scoreline for his team. in which Milan had more shots (14 to 12) and a superior xG (expected goals) of 2.25 to 2.07.

The video above starts with a crucial tip-over from Milan winger Scotti that left the match goalless, and continues with three late stops – most notably his brilliant triple save to deny substitute Emanuele Sala. In doing so, he earned his fifth clean sheet in nine games – leaving Ignazio Abate’s side without a goal for the second time in their ten games this season.