From Control To Collapse: Olympiacos’ final Dutch rehearsal raises defensive and medical concerns | OneFootball

AZ Alkmaar vs Olympiacos - Preseason Friendly, Phase 2, Day 11 - Giorgos Matthaios/EUROKINISSI

For close to an hour, Olympiacos’ final friendly in the Netherlands looked like the response José Luis Mendilibar would have wanted.

After the disjointed 3–0 defeat to Antwerp, his side appeared more recognisable against AZ Alkmaar: aggressive without the ball, purposeful in possession and considerably stronger through the spine of the team. By halftime, Olympiacos led 2–0 and had given the Dutch cup holders little encouragement.

The transformation was abrupt enough to make the result more significant than a routine preseason defeat. Olympiacos did not simply concede three isolated goals. Their defensive organisation deteriorated after substitutions and injuries altered the structure of the side, allowing AZ to overturn the match in the final 20 minutes.

Olympiacos’ opening goal illustrated what had worked.

Santiago Hezze collected possession outside the area and tested goalkeeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro’s replacement, with Ayoub El Kaabi reacting quickest to the loose ball. The Moroccan’s finish was straightforward; the value lay in the sequence before it—Olympiacos recovering territory, occupying the edge of the box and placing enough bodies close to goal to exploit a rebound.

David Carmo’s header from Christos Mouzakitis’ near-post corner just before halftime provided the second. It was another familiar strength: an accurate delivery, aggressive movement and physical superiority in the penalty area.

At that stage, Mendilibar’s team had controlled the contest. Carmo and Zinedin Smajlović were largely untroubled, Joel Roca was attempting to create from the left and the midfield had prevented AZ from establishing sustained attacks.

The performance suggested the Antwerp result could be contained as an isolated preseason failure.

Then the structure began to change.

The cost of losing Hezze and Saliakas

Hezze had already left in the first half following a knock. Early reporting had described discomfort, but FOS later clarified that he had been subjected to several challenges and was withdrawn after taking a blow.

Manolis Saliakas followed during the second half. The returning right-back felt discomfort and was replaced by Pablo Maffeo, reportedly more as a precaution than because of an obviously serious injury. Both players have since undergone medical examinations and been cleared to return to training.

Those withdrawals mattered tactically.

Hezze is one of Olympiacos’ primary stabilisers between the lines. His movement allows the team to press forward while maintaining protection against transitions. Without him, Olympiacos relied on a reshaped midfield involving Rodinei, Mouzakitis and other positional adjustments.

Saliakas’ departure then disrupted the right side. FOS reported that AZ deliberately began attacking Maffeo’s flank after he entered. Meerdink’s goal originated from that side, reducing the deficit in the 72nd minute. Five minutes later, Carmo turned the ball into his own net.

The winning goal came in the 88th minute, when Dani García conceded a penalty converted by Patati.

Olympiacos had gone from 2–0 ahead and comfortable to 3–2 behind in a span of just 16 minutes. The monumental collapse also included an altercation between players, another indication that control of the game had been lost emotionally as well as tactically.

Why the result matters despite being a friendly

Friendly results are often misleading. Coaches rotate heavily, conditioning loads affect performance and unfamiliar combinations are tested precisely because competitive points are not at stake.

But patterns can still matter.

Olympiacos have now suffered three consecutive preseason defeats, and the latest two have involved extended periods of defensive instability. Against Antwerp, the damage came in a concentrated 10-minute spell. Against AZ, a two-goal advantage disappeared during another short collapse.

That repetition is the concern.

Mendilibar’s football depends on coordinated pressure. When the first line engages, the midfield and defence must move with it. Once the distances between those units become too large, opponents can escape the press and attack exposed defenders at speed.

Against AZ, the late substitutions and injuries contributed to those distances widening. That explanation is relevant, but it does not remove the underlying vulnerability. European opponents will also test Olympiacos after substitutions, during periods of fatigue and when the preferred midfield combination is unavailable.

The immediate priority is medical clarity

The result will generate debate, but the examinations of Hezze and Saliakas are more consequential.

Olympiacos are approaching their Champions League qualifying matches against NEC Nijmegen. Losing Hezze would weaken the midfield’s ball-winning and transition protection. Losing Saliakas would reduce the club’s options at right-back just after his return and place greater immediate responsibility on Maffeo.

Initial reporting offers some reassurance: Hezze’s problem followed a knock, while Saliakas’ removal was described as precautionary. Neither has yet been ruled out of any competitive match.

Until the medical examinations are completed, the accurate assessment is limited:

Olympiacos leave the Netherlands having shown enough in the first hour to suggest the underlying structure can function. They also leave having demonstrated how quickly it can unravel.

That contrast—not merely the score—is what Mendilibar must address before Champions League qualifiers begin. He has very limited time to do so as fan sentiment continues to swell with anxiety, frustration, and overall unhappiness with the current product.