Olympiacos CFP gave their best performance of the season thus far as they posted a 3-0 win over Asteras Tripolis FC at the Giorgos Karaiskakis Stadium on Saturday. With just five points separating the club's ahead of kick-off in Piraeus, Olympiacos showed their class with three different scorers etching their name on the scorer's sheet.
Olof Mellberg opened provided the breakthrough just after the thirty-minute mark, while second half strikes from Konstantinos Mitroglou and Jaouad Zairi sealed the result for the Erythrolefki.
With manager Zico opting to infuse a few new faces into the Olympiacos line-up, the Greek Champions offered an energetic start fuelled by Argentine sensation Luciano Galletti. The former Clube Atletico de Madrid midfielder appeared to be in fine form in his return to action following a lengthy absence due to injury.
Galletti's pace was one of the factors backing the home side's early control on the match; the Asteras scrambling to deal with Olympiacos' lion share of possession throughout the first fifteen minutes. It wasn't Olympiacos' form that emerged as the early story in Piraeus as Brazilian striker Diogo was forced to the sidelines after suffering an injury after a tackle from Adrian Bastia.
The talismanic forward was replaced by former Asteras midfielder Jaouad Zairi; the Moroccan's introduction, however, shifting Olympiacos' line-up to a more conservative 4-5-1 formation - a heavy contrast from the starting 4-4-2 formation.
But for the Erythrolefki, attacking has never been a game mastered by their strikers. The midfield has been a regular provider of goals, and nearly provided the match's first as Galletti picked out Dudu with a cross into the box, but the Brazilian's header was firmly denied by Asteras 'keeper Matias Degra.
Olympiacos continued to hold possession in overwhelming fashion, but they lacked the required creativity until the thirty-sixth minute. After a series of corners for the Piraeus giants, Raul Brvo calmly collected a loose ball and looked rather optimistic as he released a shot from long-distance. The shot, a grounded effort never quite made it to Degra's goal, but a moment of confusion for the Asteras defense allowed Olof Mellberg enough time to collect the loose ball at the edge of the box, before slotting a placed effort low into the left corner of Degra's goal.
Two minutes later, Olympiacos resumed its attack with Galletti again posing as a problem for the visitors. The Argentine took a pass from Konstantinos Mitroglou in stride before releasing a powerful shot that soared just over the crossbar.
The hosts' emergence on the offensive front wasn't to be the aftertaste of the first half; rather the referee's lack of control on the match the main talking point as six yellow cards - three for each side - was the running tally at the interval.
The second frame was bound to produce more of the same end-to-end football, but Olympiacos worked rapidly to assure there was no Asteras come-back. Their first chance to extend their lead came through Mitroglou, but the U-21 Greece international slightly mistimed his aerial effort as it bounced wide of Degra's goal on forty-nine minutes.
He would redeem himself four minutes later. Zairi provided a pinpoint cross from the left wing and with an instinctive run, Mitroglou escaped his markers before tapping home an lethal finish at the near post.
With a two-goal deficit to make-up, Asteras pushed forward through former Olympiacos prospect Vasilis Lambropoulos. The 19-year-old looked to impress his former employers with a well-taken effort just past the hour mark, but the youngster lacked accuracy in his approach as he left Olympiacos 'keeper Antonis Nikopolidis untested. Marcelao fired a similar effort just two minutes later as Asteras continued to waste chances that were clearly at a premium for the visiting Arcadians.
At the other end, Olympiacos continued to create chances but Asteras held their ground only enough to concede corners. With set-pieces not being a factor for the home side, a moment of brilliance from Zairi sealed the result for O Thrylos.
Avoiding his markers at the edge of the box, Zairi created plenty of space to release a curling shot that clipped the upright before ricocheting into the Asteras goal for the home side's third goal of the night, and Zairi's second of the season.
The goal parade nearly continued through second-half substitute Ieroklis Stoltidis, but the Greek midfielder failed to snap his thirty-three game goalless drought after his shot soared over the crossbar.
Enzo Maresca was the next to have a try, but the Italian also missed as his seemingly placed effort streaked just wide of Degra's right post.
Asteras looked to steal at least some consolation and Nikopolidis' clean sheet when substitute Vangelis Kaounos directed an eighty-sixth minute effort goal-wards, but Nikopolidis was equal to the task as he denied the former Kalamata man.
The win will act as a huge boost for Olympiacos ahead of a crucial UEFA Champions League fixture with Belgian side Standard de Liege on Tuesday at Karaiskaki, while Asteras Tripolis will look to refocus ahead of their Super League clash with Atromitos FC in one week's time.
