Olympiacos and NEC Nijmegen draw in Champions League qualifier

Olympiacos played to a goalless draw against Dutch side NEC Nijmegen at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium on August 4, 2026, in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie. The match was the first official fixture of the season for the Greek side, following a mixed pre-season campaign. Olympiacos controlled much of the first half, but the visitors proved dangerous on the counter-attack, forcing crucial saves from goalkeeper Popovic. The Greek team suffered an injury setback when captain Panagiotis Retsos was forced off in the 64th minute with an ankle issue.

Following a draw at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon on August 3, it was confirmed that the winner of this aggregate tie will face either Bodo/Glimt or Union Saint-Gilloise in the playoffs. The decisive second leg is scheduled to take place at the Goffertstadion in the Netherlands on August 11, 2026, at 20:30. Olympiacos remains focused on securing a path to the Champions League League Phase while simultaneously looking for reinforcements in the transfer market, specifically targeting a central midfielder, a winger, and a forward.