Red-White delight ahead of Champions League recovery mission

February 23, 2023

Eleftheria Plevritou. Photo: Olympiacos SFP.

Olympiacos have once again shown why they are the best team in Greece, with a glorious 13-7 victory over Vouliagmeni.

Aleksandar Ciric’s Red-Whites swept aside the Nautical Club making it seventeen wins from seventeen games this season, and while Vouliagmeni are just one place behind Olympiacos, the reigning champions are lightyears ahead of them – and the rest of the league for that matter.

Four goals from Maria Myriokefalitaki led the scoring charts for Olympiacos; Vasiliki Plevritou netted three, alongside Nikoleta Eleftheriadou and centre-forward Eleni Xenaki, who both put away two strikes each.

Olympiacos 13 – 7 NC Vouliagmeni (2-0, 5-1, 5-3, 1-3)

Olympiacos: C. Diamantopoulou, E. Plevritou, I. Chydirioti, N. Eleftheriadou 2, F. Tricha, E. Xenaki 2, C. Siouti, M. Plevritou, S. Tornarou, V. Plevritou 3, K. Christmas 1, M. Myriokefalitaki 4, I. Stamatopoulou, S. Santa, Z. Tjortzakaki 1.

Vouliagmeni: M. Kotsioni, S. Kaifa 1, D. Kalogeropoulou, E. Elliniadi 2, A. Giannopoulou, A. Ridge 1, E. Tankeeva 2, Lagou, K. Stratidaki, D. Andreadi, M. Mimidis 1, F. Angelidi, E. E. Patras, E. Markatseli, N. Krassa.

Olympiacos did well to limit Vouliagmeni’s attacking flow, conceding just a single goal in the first sixteen minutes. While the visitors improved in that department in the second half, the club from Piraeus were always in control.

With the players at Olympiacos’ disposal, the goals will always come, but in this contest, they can be satisfied with a strong defensive display, especially in managing Vouliagmeni’s extra-player scenarios.

A brace from Vasiliki Plevritou put the Red-Whites ahead in the first, but four more strikes in the second period launched the reigning champions into a 6-0 advantage. With under ninety-seconds to play in the first half, Eleni Elliniadi tucked home Vouliagmeni’s first score, but it was soon nullified by a confident penalty score from Nikoleta Eleftheriadou (7-1).

Olympiacos didn’t take their foot off the gas into the third period, at least not up front. While Vouliagmeni began to make use of some of their chances, Myriokefalitaki found three of her four scores to sling Olympiacos ahead 12-4.

Vouliagmeni at least showed some determination by taking the last quarter. Mimidi, Kaiafa and Tankeeva were all on target to cut Olympiacos’ margin of victory, but in truth, it was all too easy for their opponents.

The reigning European champions will now be dead focused on this weekend’s Champions League quarter-final clash with Mataro, and they’ll need to work hard to overturn a two-goal deficit in Catalonia (11-9). The manner of today’s victory though will certainly fill them with confidence, and Aleksandar Ciric will hope for more of the same on Saturday afternoon.