Champions League knockout phase play-off first leg: Olympiacos vs Bayer Leverkusen facts

Having reached the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds for the first time in 12 seasons, Olympiacos face a rapid reunion with Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their knockout phase play-off.

The Greek champions won their last three fixtures – including a 2-0 home success against Leverkusen on Matchday 7 – to finish 18th in the league phase on 11 points (W3 D2 L3). Leverkusen were two places and one point better off (W3 D3 L2).

Last match

First-half goals from Costinha (2) and Mehdi Taremi (45+1) gave Olympiacos a 2-0 victory against Leverkusen in Piraeus on 20 January.

The clubs' only other meetings came in the 2002/03 first group stage, Olympiacos winning 6-2 in Greece before Leverkusen triumphed 2-0 in Germany.

Success on Matchday 7 ended Olympiacos' 13-game winless run against Bundesliga opposition (D1 L12), since a 3-1 home group stage victory against Borussia Dortmund in October 2011.

This is only Olympiacos' third two-legged European tie against German opposition. They lost 2-7 on aggregate to Bayern München in the 1980/81 European Cup first round and 0-5 to Hamburg in the second round of the same competition in 1982/83.

The Greek club's last 20 European games against Bundesliga clubs have all come in the group stage/league phase.

Leverkusen were unbeaten in three games against Greek opponents (W2 D1), keeping clean sheets in all of them, before losing at Olympiacos.

That defeat made it four games in Greece without a win for Leverkusen (D1 L3).

Like Olympiacos, this is only Leverkusen's third knockout tie against Greek opponents. They lost 4-6 on aggregate to AEK Athens in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup third round having beaten Panathinaikos 5-3 in the 1993/94 European Cup Winners' Cup second round.

Olympiacos

This is Olympiacos' 21st appearance in the Champions League proper – but a first since 2020/21. That ended in the group stage, for the fifth successive Champions League campaign.

The Greek side lost to Bodø/Glimt in last season's Europa League round of 16, having finished seventh in the league phase.

Leverkusen 

Leverkusen are featuring in the Champions League proper for the 15th time – although only the fourth in nine seasons.

In 2024/25 a team coached by Xabi Alonso finished sixth in the league phase (W5 D1 L2) only to lose an all-German last-16 tie to Bayern München (0-3 a, 0-2 h).

Key stats

Olympiacos defender Panagiotis Retsos joined Leverkusen from the Greek outfit in August 2017. He went on to make 44 appearances for Die Werkself between 2017 and 2022.

A 2-1 win at Ajax on Matchday 8 was Olympiacos' third in a row in the Champions League, equalling a club record set in the 2015/16 group stage.

Olympiacos are in the knockout phase for the first time since 2013/14.

The Greek club have lost all four of their Champions League knockout ties.

Olympiacos have won their home leg in six of their last seven European ties (L1).

Leverkusen are in the knockout phase for the second season in a row and the ninth overall.

Die Werkself have lost their last six Champions League knockout ties, all in the round of 16, since beating Manchester United on away goals in the 2001/02 semi-finals. They have lost ten of their last 12 knockout matches (W1 D1).

Defeat at Olympiacos is Leverkusen's only loss in their last five Champions League matches (W3 D1), with three clean sheets. They were 3-0 victors at home to Villarreal on Matchday 8.

The German club have scored 199 European Cup goals.

Alejandro Grimaldo has scored in three of Leverkusen's last four Champions League matches.