OLYMPIACOS BEAT VOLOS 3-2; ARMANDO GONZÁLEZ DELIVERS A BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE AND PUERTA SCORES ON DEBUT | OneFootball

Olympiacos vs Volos, Greek Cup League Phase Matchday 2: Giorgos Matthaios/EUROKINISSI

There are two ways to interpret Olympiacos’ 3-2 win over Volos. The first is encouraging. The second should make José Luis Mendilibar angry. For roughly an hour, Olympiacos got almost exactly what they needed after a difficult week. A new striker stepped forward. A record midfield investment scored on debut. Several rotated players received meaningful competitive minutes.

Olympiacos took control of the match and went 3-0 ahead. Then they allowed Volos back into a game that should have been finished. That contrast is the real story.

González just changed the striker conversation

Following Ayoub El Kaabi’s serious injury, the biggest question around Olympiacos was obvious: Where do the goals come from now?

Armando González offered the strongest answer available. He scored twice and then supplied the assist for Puerta’s goal, directly contributing to all three Olympiacos goals. The second goal was particularly informative.

Marcus Pedersen delivered from the right and González attacked the cross with a clean header to make it 2-0.

That matters tactically because Olympiacos do not simply need another striker who can finish chances.

They need someone who can occupy the box correctly. El Kaabi’s greatest strength has always been movement. González is beginning to show similar instincts in different ways: arriving where the ball is going rather than waiting where it already is. He now has three Cup goals after also scoring against AEL. That is still a tiny sample. But given the timing, it is an important one.

The assist may be as important as the goals

The third Olympiacos goal demonstrated another side of González. After Fortounis won possession centrally, González received the ball and released Puerta into a one-on-one situation. Puerta then produced a composed chipped finish for his first Olympiacos goal. That sequence matters because González was not simply acting as a penalty-area finisher. He recognized the run. He delayed correctly. He played the final pass. That kind of link play can make him far more useful in Mendilibar’s system.

If Olympiacos are going to play without El Kaabi for an extended period, they may need to replace his production collectively rather than trying to replicate him with one player. A striker capable of combining with runners could help make that possible.

Puerta’s debut immediately produced evidence of his upside

Puerta could hardly have scripted his debut much better. A start. A goal. And a finish displaying real composure.

His goal came in the 68th minute when he timed the run beyond the midfield line, received González’s pass and lifted the ball over the goalkeeper.

That is precisely the kind of vertical midfield contribution Olympiacos wanted when they invested heavily in him.

One match cannot tell us whether he will dominate Greek football.

But it can show us attributes. And one of the clearest attributes tonight was his willingness to run beyond the striker and attack space. Olympiacos have midfielders who can dictate possession. They have midfielders who can recover the ball. Puerta potentially offers something slightly different: the capacity to turn midfield possession into direct penetration.

That is useful against domestic opponents who defend deep.

Then came the collapse from 3-0

And this is where the mood should change. Olympiacos were three goals ahead. The match was under control.

Volos scored in the 79th minute. Then Giorgos Charalampoglou made it 3-2 in the 89th. Suddenly a comfortable victory became uncomfortable.

This should concern Mendilibar for reasons that go beyond the score. Gate 7’s criticism earlier this week was not simply about results. It was about performances and control. Allowing a 3-0 lead to become 3-2 at home against Volos reinforces the argument that Olympiacos are still struggling to maintain intensity and structural discipline across an entire match.

That does not erase the positives. But it prevents this result from being treated as a complete response.

The rotated XI complicates the interpretation

Mendilibar made extensive changes. That matters. This was not the established first-choice Olympiacos team.

Players such as Filis, Smajlović, Tiknizyan, Puerta and González were being evaluated in different roles and partnerships.

Some instability should therefore be expected. But a club with Olympiacos’ depth should still be capable of closing a 3-0 home lead professionally. That is probably the lesson Mendilibar will emphasize most strongly.

The attack gave him answers. The final phase of the match gave him questions.

Fan reaction

The immediate public reaction is positive about the new players but much less enthusiastic about the way Olympiacos finished the match.

The most obvious recurring theme is excitement around Armando González. After El Kaabi’s injury, supporters immediately began wondering whether the Mexican could handle greater responsibility. A two-goal, one-assist performance is exactly the kind of response that creates optimism.

Puerta’s debut goal is generating similar enthusiasm. The quality of the finish and the fact that he scored immediately in his first competitive appearance reinforce the excitement surrounding his arrival.

The dissenting reaction centers on the final scoreline. Even sympathetic post-match coverage notes that Olympiacos became anxious late after having controlled the match at 3-0.