Olympiakos manager José Luis Mendilibar did not hide from the reality of what unfolded on Wednesday night. His team pushed Real Madrid to the brink in a wild Champions League thriller, ultimately falling 3–4 in a match that swung violently in both directions. After the game, the Spanish coach offered a candid, detailed breakdown of how close his team came to pulling off the impossible — and how quickly elite opposition can punish even the slightest lapse.
“A lot happened, too many things,” Mendilibar said. “We started well with the goal. They turned the game around very quickly. They almost made it 1–4 and that would have killed us. It gave us life to fight in the second half. We ended up pinning Madrid back and creating chances to equalize.”
Olympiakos stunned Madrid early, but their advantage evaporated almost instantly. Real Madrid’s attacking quality — and especially the devastating transitions — turned the game upside-down before the home side could settle back into a rhythm. Mendilibar admitted that the speed of Madrid’s response left his players shaken.
“It seemed like we were dead,” he said. “They scored goals very quickly with very little effort. You realize you’re playing against the best in the world and that there’s a difference. We went out to fight and we had our chances.”
Despite the early collapse, Olympiakos mounted a spirited second-half surge, forcing Madrid to defend deep and survive a wave of late pressure. Mendilibar’s team played with intensity, but the efficiency of Madrid’s front line made the difference — especially the devastating duo of Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé.
“There are two sides to it,” the Olympiakos manager explained. “The two up front — Vinicius and Mbappé — have hurt us a lot, but also because they rest a lot when we have the ball. It’s the other eight who try to defend and run. When they win the ball back, they’re fresh to run, do one-on-one… and then they’re clinical with almost everything they take.”
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