Mendilibar Expects NEC Nijmegen To Take Risks In 2nd Leg | OneFootball

José Luis Mendilibar could have treated a 0–0 Champions League away-leg setup cautiously. He did not.

His message in Nijmegen was almost the opposite. Olympiacos were poor in Piraeus. They did not create enough and, perhaps most importantly, they allowed NEC to play too comfortably. That last point is the key to understanding what Tuesday may look like.

Mendilibar told reporters that Olympiacos must become more dangerous, manufacture more opportunities and prevent NEC from playing with the same freedom they enjoyed in the first match. That is not simply a motivational statement.

It is a tactical diagnosis.

The first-leg problem was not just finishing

A 0–0 can easily lead to a simplistic conclusion: Olympiacos needed to finish their chances better.

Mendilibar’s comments suggest he sees a broader issue. Olympiacos did not create enough high-quality situations in the first place. And when they tried to impose themselves through pressure, NEC were too often able to play through that pressure without sufficient disruption. That meant Olympiacos suffered at both ends of the same sequence. They were not dangerous enough after winning the ball and they were not destructive enough before NEC escaped with it.

The solution is therefore not merely “attack more.” It is to create more attacks through better pressure.

“Don’t let NEC play comfortably” may be the entire game plan

That phrase should be taken seriously. NEC’s strength in Piraeus was their willingness to continue playing short passes even under pressure. They did not simply clear the ball when Olympiacos stepped forward. They invited the pressure, moved it and tried to exploit the spaces left behind. Mendilibar clearly does not want to abandon the press. He wants to execute it better.

That means Olympiacos must improve:

the timing of the first jump;

the distances between lines;

the protection behind the press;

and the reaction when the first challenge is bypassed.

This is precisely where Santiago Hezze’s return can become decisive.

Hezze may be the mechanism that makes the press work

The important question is not simply whether Hezze starts. It is what his availability allows Olympiacos to attempt. Hezze is one of the midfielders best equipped to protect aggressive pressure. When an opponent beats the first line, he attacks the second action. When a full-back moves forward, he can cover the vacated zone. When a loose ball appears after a duel, he reacts quickly.

That makes Olympiacos more capable of maintaining territorial pressure rather than retreating immediately after the first failed press. Mendilibar’s comments about denying NEC comfort therefore increase the tactical significance of Hezze’s return.

Mendilibar also referenced something easy to overlook: his newer players have now had another full week to work within the system. That matters because Olympiacos have changed considerably.

New players are being integrated.

Roles are shifting.

Some players arrived late.

Others have been moved between positions.

Mendilibar’s football depends heavily on collective synchronization. Press five metres too early and NEC escape. Press five metres too late and they turn. A new winger making the wrong pressing run can compromise the midfielder behind him. A full-back advancing without corresponding cover can expose the entire defensive structure. Another week of training does not sound dramatic. For a pressing team incorporating several new pieces, it can be.

Expect more aggression on the wings

If Mendilibar wants more danger, the wide areas are the obvious place to find it. Olympiacos have several ways to raise the attacking intensity. Gelson Martins can provide direct one-against-one threat.

Jota Silva can attack space and the box. Rodinei, if used from right-back, can effectively become an additional attacking player. Fortounis can move inside and create overloads.

That would produce a much more aggressive attacking structure than simply circulating the ball around NEC’s block. But there is a tradeoff. The more players Olympiacos send forward, the more dangerous NEC become when possession changes. Again, midfield protection becomes central.

Ayoub El Kaabi stressed that Olympiacos want to score first. That may sound obvious in a knockout tie.

It is not tactically meaningless. If Olympiacos score first, the nature of the match changes completely.

NEC would have to attack. Their defensive line would likely move higher. Their midfield would take greater risks.

Space would appear. And that would create precisely the kind of transition environment in which Mendilibar’s teams can become devastating.Olympiacos therefore have every incentive to make the first 20–25 minutes extremely aggressive.

Not reckless, but aggressive.

NEC are unlikely to retreat

Mendilibar also expects NEC to remain faithful to their identity. His assessment is that Schreuder’s side will continue playing with risk and attacking intent. That matches the first leg.

NEC did not approach Olympiacos like an underdog trying to survive. They tried to play.

That gives Olympiacos opportunities. A team willing to build from the back also provides pressing triggers.

A team willing to push players forward also leaves spaces behind. The challenge is making those risks expensive.

The biggest difference may be Olympiacos’ willingness to turn the match chaotic

The first leg had periods where NEC were almost too comfortable. That is exactly what Mendilibar now wants to remove. His best Olympiacos sides rarely win by making matches serene.

They win by creating repeated contests:

second balls;

pressing traps;

duels;

transitions;

crosses;

recoveries;

another attack;

then another press.

That rhythm is difficult to live with. NEC handled too much of the first leg at their preferred tempo.

Mendilibar’s comments suggest Tuesday should look different.

This also helps explain potential lineup changes

He refused to reveal whether significant changes are coming. But the objectives themselves offer clues.

If you want more danger: you prioritize direct attackers.

If you want stronger pressing: you prioritize mobility and defensive intensity.

If you want to stop NEC building comfortably: you need players capable of sustaining pressure rather than simply completing possession.

That is why the cases for Hezze, Gelson, Jota and potentially Rodinei all strengthen. The lineup may change because the type of match Olympiacos want has changed.

Mendilibar has now publicly raised the standard

The most striking element of his press conference was not optimism. It was dissatisfaction. Olympiacos did not play well enough.

That removes any temptation to romanticize the first-leg clean sheet. A draw at home did not meet his standard. Now comes the response and the tactical objective is clear: Olympiacos must make NEC uncomfortable.

If they do, the return leg should bear very little resemblance to the first.