Olympiakos suffered a disappointing defeat against Bayer Leverkusen with a scoreline of 0-2 during the first leg of the Champions League playoffs at home on Wednesday night. The match began with no goals, as both teams had opportunities to take the lead. However, as the game progressed, it became evident that the German side showcased their quality, particularly after they scored first during a swift counter-attack.

Once Leverkusen opened the scoring, they capitalized on Olympiakos's momentary lapse in concentration and quickly added a second goal, solidifying their control over the match. Patrick Schick was the standout performer for Leverkusen, scoring both goals in the 60th and 63rd minutes. On the other hand, Olympiakos goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis had a commendable performance in the first half, making several impressive saves that kept the team hopeful as they looked to equalize.

The defeat puts Olympiakos in a challenging position ahead of the second leg at Bayer Arena next Tuesday. They will have to overcome a two-goal deficit to advance in the tournament, which now seems a daunting task. Notably, a goal by El Kaabi was disallowed by VAR just before halftime, which could have altered the momentum of the game. Thus, while there were some bright spots for Olympiakos, the overall result leaves them with much to ponder as they prepare for the critical return match.