The experience at Olympiacos that gave Mendeleber ideas! – Kostas Nikolakopoulos – Olympiacos

• Yesterday’s friendly match between Olympiacos and Mechelen, compared to yesterday’s match with Ajax, was that the “red and white” had a good first half, in which they led the Belgians 2-0, while they lost to the Dutch 0-1 in the first half, fair enough. In the second half, Mindelebre’s team managed to score two more goals, but towards the end of the friendly match, they could have easily conceded one or two goals.

• Overall, the test was positive, mainly due to the presence of new kids. Already, in the first two friendly matches, we scored a goal from Mouzakitis, an assist from Kostolas that Zilson converted into a goal and two assists from Kotsidis and Mouzakitis, which were not converted into goals by Kostolas and Masoura! In fact, most of the good things are done by the kids! And the defenders! It is no coincidence that the four goalkeepers, who each played one half, had to intervene only three times in dangerous situations – Paschalakis managed to catch a four-ball and ate a goal in another and Botis deflected a shot for goal, with an ally and a beam.

• What is certain is that Mediliber is doing a lot of testing. Yesterday we saw Apostolopoulos on the left, Douai and Bennacon in defensive midfield, Rodini on the right, and Zilson and Masoura also playing in central attack. The absence of wingers and strikers certainly also plays a role in these choices.

• But while the experiment of Ortega and Apostolopoulos together on the left side failed, due to the latter’s (reasonable) inability to respond in attack, the experiment of Costinha and Rodini on the right was successful! Because quite simply, the Brazilian has the ability to dribble, cross, shoot and play as a winger, as it turned out later! He was unlucky not to score from that shot with his left foot that hit the crossbar.

• It is also important that although both right-backs work very well together, to a surprising extent, they played together for the first time, even if they spoke the same language, Portuguese, which is of course important. They found each other at least ten times (!) while Costinha put two shots… around Rodini up front in good positions for crosses!

• Mendeleiber obviously put them together because of Olympiacos’ attacking problems at the moment, but I have a feeling that yesterday’s test might have given him some ideas. Maybe it “told” him that these two, at least in some games, might be a match for each other! The Portuguese with his defensive ability and the Brazilian with his aggressive personality!

• Let me remind you that in the second half, Olympiacos started the attack with Rodini, Gelson, Papacanilo, Apostolopoulos (from right to left) and with Biancone and Mozzacetti in midfield. It continued with Rodini, Masoura, Biel and Papacanilo in attack and with Biancone and Bakola in midfield. In the end, the attacking quartet was Rodini, Biel, Cecchino, Masouras!

On Demand: All reports on the official bwinSPORT FM YouTube channel