Hezze’s return could solve Olympiacos’ biggest first-leg problem | OneFootball

Olympiacos vs NEC NIjmegen, Champions League 3rd round qualifier, 1st leg - Klodian Lato/EUROKINISSI

Santiago Hezze’s recovery has moved beyond optimism. He is now back on the training pitch. Fresh reporting from Rentis says the Argentine midfielder joined the rest of the Olympiacos squad on Friday, completed the majority of the session and showed no recurrence of the ankle problem that had kept him out since the friendly against AZ Alkmaar. The medical staff have reportedly cleared him, with full-intensity team work expected from Saturday.

That changes the tactical picture for Nijmegen considerably.

Why Hezze matters specifically against NEC

The first leg exposed Olympiacos whenever NEC bypassed the opening press. The issue was not simply individual defending. The distances between the forwards, midfield and centre-backs became too large, allowing NEC to receive in central spaces and run directly at the defensive line. Hezze addresses that problem more naturally than any other current midfielder.

His biggest value is not possession volume.

That makes him especially valuable in Mendilibar’s system, where the midfield frequently has to defend large spaces behind an aggressive first press.

The interesting question is now who plays beside him

The first leg began with Dani García and Christos Mouzakitis. Hezze’s expected return changes the balance.

Mouzakitis offers the best progressive passing and creative potential from deep.

Dani García offers experience and positional discipline and is an option Mendilibar tends to choose when things get tough. Lorenzo Scipioni has reportedly continued improving in training and is also pushing for minutes.

Hezze can protect transitions. Mouzakitis can concentrate more heavily on progression.

That would reduce the amount of defensive ground Mouzakitis must cover while giving Olympiacos more vertical passing than a Hezze–García pairing.

A Hezze–García combination would instead prioritize control and defensive stability but could reproduce some of the first leg’s problems moving the ball through midfield.

Hezze also helps Olympiacos press higher

Mendilibar’s football depends on trust. The forwards can only press aggressively if the midfield behind them believes it can react when the first line is beaten.

Hezze gives that reassurance. His ability to close ground allows Olympiacos to compress the pitch more confidently rather than dropping prematurely.

That could help solve the most important structural flaw from Piraeus: the enormous space NEC repeatedly found between midfield and defence.

The workload still needs management

Medical clearance does not automatically mean match fitness. Hezze has missed meaningful training time.

The reporting says he completed most of Friday’s work before switching to individualized strength exercises, which suggests the staff are deliberately increasing his load rather than treating him as completely reintegrated already.

The next three sessions are therefore crucial. If he completes them normally, starting becomes increasingly likely. If the ankle reacts, Mendilibar may need to use him selectively.

This may be the most important recovery before the second leg

Retsos’ improving condition gives Olympiacos defensive continuity. Hezze’s return potentially changes the structure of the entire team.

A healthy Hezze can protect the centre-backs, increase pressing aggression and release Mouzakitis to play more creatively. That makes this more than another player becoming available. It gives Mendilibar a tool to correct what went wrong tactically in the first leg.