Olympiakos Piraeus v Arsenal Live Commentary & Result, 11/03/2021, UEFA Europa League

Thank you for joining our coverage, we hope you enjoyed the game! Until next time, goodbye!

Olympiacos face Larissa in their last league game of the season next, while Arsenal host Tottenham in the north London derby as they return to Premier League action.

There goes the full-time whistle! Arsenal take a two-goal lead and three away goals into the second leg at home despite Leno's poor pass into Ceballos allowing El-Arabi to cancel out Odegaard's long-range opener, with Gabriel nodding in from a corner and Elneny blasting in a third from distance to give the scoreline a comfortable feel. It finishes 3-1 to Arsenal in Greece!

90' + 5' FULL-TIME: OLYMPIACOS 1-3 ARSENAL

90' + 3' Arsenal look vibrant in the closing stages. They're still probing away and are searching for a fourth goal. No sign of the Gunners sitting back on their lead.

90' + 1' WIDE! Lacazette plays it in towards Pepe on the right side of the six-yard box, but the angle is against him and he skews his effort high and wide of the target.

A. Lacazette

P. Aubameyang

88' Arteta makes yet another change, with Aubameyang going off for Lacazette up front in the closing stages of the contest.

T. Androutsos

G. Masouras

86' Martins responds to his side conceding two in quick succession now, with Masouras replaced by Androutsos.

Gabriel Magalhães

Assist

85' Gabriel, who just gave Arsenal their lead back, played a simple pass to Elneny in a deep position, but the Egyptian wasn't closed down and came up with a sensational strike!

Mohamed Elneny

Goal

85' GOAL!!! WHAT A STRIKE FROM ELNENY!!!! Gabriel plays it short to the Egyptian on halfway and he runs, unopposed, towards the edge of the box before unleashing a swerving strike of such ferocity that Sa can't keep it out, despite getting a hand to it, palming it onto the post and in! Of the three Arsenal substitutes to have just entered the fray, Elneny seemed the most unlikely to get on the scoresheet, but he's made it 3-1 to Arsenal!

83' Ceballos is now Arsenal's most advanced midfielder, with Smith Rowe on the left and Elneny partnering Xhaka in midfield as the Gunners look to see the game out.

E. Smith Rowe

M. Ødegaard

82' Arteta's third change is also a like-for-like, with Arsenal's first goalscorer Odegaard coming off for Smith Rowe.

N. Pépé

B. Saka

82' The second change is a straight swap on the right, with Saka going off for Pepe.

Mohamed Elneny

Willian

82' Arteta makes a triple-substitution now as he looks to see the game out. Elneny replaces Willian in the first change.

Willian

Assist

79' Willian received the corner very short and dinked a cross into a dangerous area where Gabriel showed great desire to meet it and nod in!

Gabriel Magalhães

Goal

79' GOAL!!!! ARSENAL ARE IN FRONT AGAIN!!! A short corner is taken to Willian, who floats the ball to the back post where Gabriel charges in to glance a terrific header across goal and into the far corner beyond the reach of Sa! It's 2-1 to the Gunners now!

Koka

Y. El-Arabi

77' The Olympiacos goalscorer, El-Arabi, is withdrawn by Martins now and replaced up front by Hassan.

75' Willian takes on a speculative attempt from range on his weaker left foot and it's blazed high and wide of the target. That certainly won't trouble Sa.

73' Arsenal are just lacking a little bit of sharpness in their passing at the moment. They can't seem to take advantage of the spaces that appear in the Olympiacos defence.

71' BLOCK! Odegaard and Saka link up on the right and the former is found in a pocket of space inside the area. He shifts it onto his left and blasts at goal, but it's blocked away!

69' Saka cuts in from the right but is charged down just inside the box. He tries to lash one at goal but it clatters away off a defender. He had three around him then.

67' CLOSE! Randjelovic crosses low into the box for El-Arabi, who fires low towards the bottom-right corner, but it's deflected just around the post by Bellerin!

65' The game has been very scrappy since Olympiacos' equaliser. The hosts look invigorated and are disrupting Arsenal's attempts to create chances.

63' Arsenal have conceded twice from individual errors in their last two Europa League games, with Ceballos' mistake allowing Rafa Silva to score for Benfica in the last round.

61' El-Arabi has scored in his last two appearances against Arsenal in the Europa League. They're the only team he's scored more than once against in the competition.

L. Ranđelović

Bruma

59' Martins makes a third change now in the aftermath of that goal, bringing Bruma off for Randelovic out wide.

Y. El-Arabi

Goal

58' GOAL!!! OLYMPIACOS ARE LEVEL!! It's another mistake at the back from Arsenal! Leno plays the ball into Ceballos, who has his back to goal and two for company. The midfielder is robbed and El-Arabi curls into the bottom-right corner with Leno out of position! It's 1-1 now!

Dani Ceballos

T. Partey

55' Arteta looks to protect Partey now and brings him off, with Ceballos replacing the Ghanaian in midfield.

54' Aubameyang tries to clip the ball into the middle but nobody can get on the end of it. It's cleared half-heartedly to the edge of the box, but Tierney and Saka get in each other's way and the latter fires over the bar!

52' Arsenal are back in command and Partey finds Tierney with a lovely switch to the left. The full-back finds Saka, but he can't wriggle past his man and Olympiacos have the ball.

50' Olympiacos make a rare foray forward, but their passes into the final third are hopeful and pose no real threat to the Gunners.

48' Partey thumps one at goal from distance and it bounces just before it reaches Sa, but the goalkeeper reads it well and takes it into his grasp.

46' We're back underway for the second half!

K. Fortounis

M. Valbuena

46' Valbuena is the second player to be replaced, with attacking midfielder Fortounis coming on behind El-Arabi.

J. Holebas

O. Reabciuk

46' Martins makes a double-change at half-time as he looks for improvement from his side. Reabciuk off for Holebas at left-back is the first alteration.

Arsenal have looked, for most of the half, a fluid, confident and dangerous team in possession and are deservedly ahead. However, mistakes at the back continue to plague them and the Gunners must learn to cut these out.

There goes the half-time whistle! Arsenal lead at the break through Odegaard's powerful strike from outside the box that Sa was unable to palm to safety and have had several other chances, including an Aubameyang header that was tipped onto the bar. The Gunners nearly shot themselves in the foot, however, when David Luiz was caught as he tried to play out from the back, but Masouras' poor finish let them off. It's 1-0 to Arsenal at half-time!

45' + 2' HALF-TIME: OLYMPIACOS 0-1 ARSENAL

45' David Luiz stays forward after a set-piece is cleared. He goes down on the edge of the box and wants a free-kick but the referee waves his claims away, and Olympiacos look to break into the gap left by the defender. Saka gets back brilliantly, however, and puts in an inch-perfect tackle to stop the counter.

Gabriel Magalhães

Yellow Card

43' Gabriel is the first Arsenal player to go into the book now after a hefty challenge on Valbuena.

42' SAVE! Saka drives down the right and cuts inside before playing a lovely ball to Willian on the left. The Brazilian cuts inside to shoot, but his effort is deflected and loops up towards goal, but Sa backpedals and hangs on!

40' CHANCE! David Luiz receives the ball short from the goal-kick and takes a poor touch, getting his feet muddled up, before playing a pass under pressure that goes straight to Masouras! The midfielder lashes at goal, but somehow blazes over! That was so sloppy from the Arsenal defender.

A. Bouchalakis

Yellow Card

37' Bouchalakis is the next Olympiacos player to go into the book for an uncompromising challenge on Aubameyang that got none of the ball.

35' Only LASK and Rapid Vienna (5 each) have scored more goals from outside the box than Arsenal in the Europa League this season (4).

M. Ødegaard

Goal

34' GOAL!!! ARSENAL LEAD!!! What a hit by Odegaard for his first goal for the club! He's fed by Partey just outside the box and cuts onto his left before unleashing a thunderbolt of a strike that Sa flaps at and can't keep out! It's poor goalkeeping, but a terrific strike nonetheless! It's 1-0 to the Gunners!

T. Partey

Assist

34' Partey gets an assist as he finds Odegaard in an advanced position, but the Norwegian had a lot to do before finding the net from the edge of the area!

33' BLOCK! Aubameyang is found as he makes a clever run into the box down the left. He tries to cut back onto his right and shoot across goal, but it's blocked away!

31' Arsenal are probing patiently, but Olympiacos have managed to keep Arsenal from creating anything of note in the last few minutes.

29' Arsenal are controlling the game well now, keeping the ball as they wait for their next opportunity to strike. They look comfortable in possession.

27' Bellerin isn't on the same wavelength as Odegaard on the right and there's a mix-up between the two, leading to the ball being played in behind after the right-back had stopped his run.

25' Arsenal have a third free-kick in shooting range, but this time it's to the right of goal. Xhaka takes with his left, but it's straight into the wall.

23' SAVE! Aubameyang takes the free-kick this time and it's a powerful effort towards the goalkeeper's side, but Sa is positioned well and makes the save!

Y. M'Vila

Yellow Card

22' M'Vila slides in recklessly on Saka on the edge of the box and gets none of the ball, earning himself a deserved yellow card.

21' SAVE! Bellerin takes a throw-in to Odegaard in the Arsenal defensive third but the midfielder is surrounded and rushes his square ball, giving it to Bruma on the edge of the box. The winger goes for goal, but Leno gathers the low effort and bails his team-mates out!

19' Saka darts inside before playing a reverse ball to Bellerin on the overlap, but the right-back's cross from the byline is gathered by Sa. Both full-backs are getting forward well tonight.

17' SAVE! Lala fouls Willian on the edge of the box and the free-kick is in a promising position. David Luiz takes it, but his dipping strike is straight down the middle and Sa makes the save!

15' OVER! Tierney crosses into the middle but it's a fraction behind Saka. The ball runs to Bellerin on the opposite side, and he works it into Odegaard to his left. The Norwegian lays it off for the onrushing Partey, but the midfielder blazes over from the edge of the box!

13' Bruma takes on a very ambitious effort from an improbable angle and distance, and predictably scuffs it well wide of the target.

11' Arsenal press Olympiacos high up the field and it's punted over the top into the space left in behind, but Leno races out of his box to deal with it and finds Tierney, who clears his lines.

9' Arsenal have absolutely dominated possession so far, enjoying nearly 78% of the ball and looking very assertive and confident.

7' CROSSBAR! What a save by Sa! Odegaard plays a clever reverse ball down the line for the overlapping Bellerin, who swings a cross into the middle that Aubameyang heads powerfully goalwards, but Sa somehow tips it onto the bar! Arsenal could be 2-0 up already!

5' Tierney looks lively in these opening stages and the left-back makes another surging run before cutting the ball towards Willian this time, but it's intercepted.

3' MISS! What a chance for Arsenal! Tierney cuts a low ball back towards Odegaard, who is unmarked in the box, but the young midfielder scuffs his shot and drags it wide of the far post! He had to hit the target there!

1' We're underway in Piraeus!

Against sides from a specific country they have faced more than 10 times in major UEFA competition, only against Italian (55%) and French (54%) opposition have Arsenal won a higher share of their matches than against Greek teams (10/20 - 50%).

Arsenal and Olympiacos have previously met on 10 occasions across all European competitions, with no encounter ending level and the two teams winning five times each.

Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta makes two alterations after his side's disappointing 1-1 draw with Burnley in their last game. Mari and Chambers drop to the bench, with Gabriel and Bellerin coming into the back four in their places. Fit-again Smith Rowe is also named amongst the substitutes.

Olympiacos head coach Pedro Martins makes two changes after his side beat Lamia 3-0 in domestic action last time out. Attacking midfielder Fortounis drops to the bench, with the more defensive Camara coming in to replace him. Ba is injured in the warm-up, meaning that midfielder Masouras takes his place. Former Arsenal defender Sokratis starts against his old club and is paired with M'Vila, who was heavily linked with a move to the Gunners many seasons ago.

Arsenal substitutes: Alexandre Lacazette, Cedric Soares, Calum Chambers, Mat Ryan, Dani Ceballos, Emile Smith Rowe, Rob Holding, Pablo Mari, Karl Hein, Mohamed Elneny, Gabriel Martinelli, Nicolas Pepe.

Arsenal XI (4-2-3-1): Bernd Leno; Hector Bellerin, David Luiz, Gabriel Magalhaes, Kieran Tierney; Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka; Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Willian; Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Olympiacos substitutes: Ahmed Hassan, Vasilis Sourlis, Lazar Randjelovic, Ilias Karargyris, Konstantinos Tzolakis, Konstantinos Fortounis, Thanasis Androutsos, Jose Holebas, Mohamed Drager.

Olympiacos XI (4-4-1-1): Jose Sa; Kenny Lala, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Yann M'Vila, Oleg Reabciuk; Bruma, Mohamed Camara, Andreas Bouchalakis, Giorgos Masouras; Mathieu Valbuena; Youssef El-Arabi.

Arsenal will hope to gain revenge after being knocked out in the previous round of last season's competition by tonight's hosts. The second leg at the Emirates went to extra-time and the Gunners were eliminated on away goals, with the aggregate score tied at 2-2. Perhaps the north London outfit will favour an attacking approach in Greece tonight in order to minimise the risk of a repeat.

Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Europa League round of 16 first leg clash between Olympiacos and Arsenal at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Greece.

Olympiakos Piraeus v Arsenal Live Commentary, 11/03/2021

Key Events

Match Stats

Commentary