A late goal in Piraeus

Olympiacos beat Sparta Prague 1-0 at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium on 22 October 2026, their third match in the Europa League League Phase. The only goal came in the 78th minute. Armando Gonzalez, who had entered from the bench, got his head to a right-wing cross from a teammate, and the ball struck Mansverk on its way in, so the goal was credited to the Sparta player as an own goal. One report times the moment at the 79th minute, while the others give the 78th. Olympiacos had dominated possession and territory for most of the match but could not turn that pressure into a goal before the interval.

A first half without a goal

The opening 20 minutes were cagey, with both sides cancelling each other out in midfield and few shots on target. Olympiacos stepped up after that and created its first clear chance in the 24th minute, when Tsikinio slipped a pass to Zelson inside the box, but his left-foot shot went wide. A minute later a corner routine ended with a Salyakas shot that also flew off target. In the 26th minute Froyler failed to get a touch on a cross from the right, and at the end of the half Bruno and Ressos both saw efforts blocked or cleared off the line. Olympiacos finished the first half with 17 shots and 61% possession, yet the score stayed 0-0.

Substitutions and the winner

Coach Imanol Alguacil made changes at the break and again around the hour mark, bringing on Gonzalez for Yaremchuk in the 62nd minute. Sparta came closer to a goal in the second half than the first, with a Matsek shot around the hour mark that was deflected for a corner. Sparta's last real chance came in the 82nd minute, when Kanderabek shot inside the box without finding the target. Olympiacos had dominated possession for long spells, and the change that finally broke the deadlock came from the bench rather than from the flow of the game.

What the result means

The win was Olympiacos' third in as many League Phase matches, giving them nine points and a position that one outlet described as close to securing progress to the next stage. Gonzalez's goal was counted as a Sparta own goal, so the scoring record shows the Greek side's sixth consecutive victory across all competitions. Sparta, who have also played three matches, were held without a shot on target in the closing stages and left Piraeus without a point.