Champions League Player Ratings | Bayer Leverkusen 0-0 (Agg: 2-0) Olympiacos: Die Werkself to play Arsenal or Bayern Munich | OneFootball

Bundesliga Champions League representatives Bayer Leverkusen are on course to face either Bayern Munich or Arsenal after advancing to the Champions League Round of 16 on Tuesday evening. Germany’s red company team have prevailed in the 2025/26 play-off round, punching through after beating Olympiacos Piraeus 2-0 on aggregate.

Kasper Hjulmand’s Werkself mostly focused on preserving the aggregate lead secured during last week’s away play-off game in the second league. As a result, there wasn’t too much to speak of going on in a footballing sense at the BayArena. Leverkusen established a dominant tone early and cruised the rest of the way. The match concluded in a 0-0 draw.

Some early excitement from the hosts

After a heavily rotated squad unexpectedly dropped a Bundesliga match against Union Berlin over the weekend, Hjulmand returned to the XI that prevailed last week in Piraeus. There was one exception. Former German international Jonas Hofmann started over Ernest Poku. It was Hofmann who produced the first chance of the game, getting a direct shot on target from close range in the 4th-minute. Off the ensuing corner, Alejandro Grimaldo nearly set up Patrik Schick with a clever lob off a short set-piece design.

Two minutes later, Grimaldo again played in Schick with a piercing long through-ball behind the defensive ranks. This time, Schick himself attempted to lob over onrushing Olympiacos keeper Konstantinos Tzolakis. Schick’s effort nevertheless didn’t have enough power behind it. Tzolakis rushed back to collect the ball. Grimaldo got his own chance off in the 10th-minute. Leverkusen continued to press forward in search of a goal for a few more minutes before switching to administrative mode.  

Leverkusen focus on defending aggregate lead

Hjulmand’s side literally shut down offensively from about the 20-minute-mark onwards. There were no further major Leverkusen incursions into the penalty area for the duration of the opening 45. The Germans mostly kept their Greek guests at bay during the rest of the first half, yet were slightly lucky not to be punished for an Aleix Garcia passing error in the 28th-minute. Apart from that, José Luis Mendilibar’s team couldn’t really come up with much of anything.  

Olympiacos striker Gelson Martins was at least able to fashion a few half chances after the restart. At the other end, Leverkusen showed a little intent on an attack sortie in the 62nd-minute. Grimaldo thundered an effort of the crossbar after a nice combination with the freshly subbed on Poku. The game then settled back into an uneventful lull with neither side generating much.

The match concludes in an orderly fashion

Robert Andrich headed a corner over the bar in the 85th-minute in what was the last significant piece of action in the game. B04 keeper Janis Blaswich wasn’t tested at all in the final minutes, during which Olympicacos mostly seemed simply resigned to their fate. Both teams played at three-quarters speed as the full-time whistle approached. 

Bayer Leverkusen Player Ratings

Janis Blaswich (7) –  Edmond Tapsoba (6), Robert Andrich (6), Jarell Quansah (5) – Alejandro Grimaldo (7), Aleix García (4), Exequiel Palacios (4), Lucas Vasquez (5)  – Ibrahim Maza (5), Jonas Hofmann (5)  –  Patrik Schick (5)

Substitutes:  Ernest Poku (6), Ezequiel Fernandez (5), Montrell Culbreath (5), Arthur (5) 

GGFN Player of the Match: Alejandro Grimaldo (7)

In a match devoid of any real highlights, the Spanish wingback at least got two shots off. Grimaldo also assisted on two further efforts and sent four crosses into the box Much of Leverkusen’s success in keeping Olympiacos under wraps related to the 11-times-capped international’s calm control in midfield. Grimaldo connected on 86 percent of his 57 played passes and racked up a respectable total of 85 touches.

GGFN | Peter Weis