Olympiacos will use the international break to fine-tune Imanol Alguacil's ideas before facing Panathinaikos on Oct. 11. The coach has managed only three matches.
Olympiacos will have valuable time to rest and regroup before returning from the international break in late September and early October.
Imanol Alguacil’s side are coming off a 1-0 victory over Levadiakos in Matchweek 5 of the Greek Super League, in a match that left mixed feelings because, despite securing the victory, they played poorly, there were no patterns of play, and the fans were left frustrated at the end of the match.
The international break will therefore help fine-tune Alguacil’s tactical ideas, as he has managed only three matches, and it is normal for the team not to be at the expected level yet.
Olympiacos must improve squad cohesion, as the Derby of the Eternal Enemies awaits them when they return from the international break. They will face Panathinaikos on Oct. 11 at Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium.
This match will be Matchweek 6 of the Greek Super League and will be crucial to understanding how much Olympiacos can shift their momentum in the coming months.
This is because Panathinaikos currently leads the league with 15 points and a perfect record of five wins in the first five matchweeks of the Greek championship.
Olympiacos is a different case: they have only 10 points after their first five matches and, as we have already mentioned, have left much to be desired in terms of collective performance.
In addition, they have an appointment after this match on Oct. 15 against Olympique de Marseille in the UEFA Europa League on Matchday 2 of the league phase.
Therefore, this international break will be crucial for Olympiacos to ensure none of their key players get injured during national team commitments and, in the meantime, to build the team’s collective cohesion with the rest of the squad at the training center.
The match against Levadiakos raised doubts about certain players from whom much more is expected, such as Gustavo Puerta and club legend Konstantinos Fortounis.
Usually deployed as a winger, Fortounis clearly no longer has the speed he once had, and he also starts moving inside as the match progresses rather than staying wide.
As for Puerta, his talent and quality are undeniable, but at times he looks lost.
This is completely normal, given what we have already mentioned: Alguacil has only been able to work with the team for three matches, so patience is needed.
We will see what the coming weeks and months have in store for the Red and Whites.
