13 September 2006, by Sean Gillen

Valencia win six-goal thriller

Olympiakos 2-4 Valencia

Valencia survived a difficult opening half hour to start with a win in their Champions League opener with Olympiakos, with Fernando Morientes scoring a hat-trick to help them get the better of the Greeks in a six-goal thriller in Athens.

Miguel started at right-back in what was his first Champions League outing for Los Ches since joining the club last summer from Benfica. The defender produced a solid, if unspectacular performance, with his manager probably having advised him to focus on his defensive duties rather than his traditional attacking runs down the right flank.

It was an open match from the first whistle, and Moroccan defender Ouaddou may have given the Greeks the lead, but he failed to get his head on an in-swinging Rivaldo free-kick. The Brazilian superstar tested Valencia keeper Santiago Canizares with another set-piece from the edge of the box shortly afterwards, as the home side began to put their opponents under pressure.

Olympiakos deservedly took the lead in the 28th minute when Stoltidis’ excellent throughball was controlled on the chest by Konstantonou, and the forward coolly toe-poked past Canizares.

Valencia reacted well to the setback, and Raul Albiol almost scored with a header before the Spaniards equalised on 33 minutes when a nicely-worked move resulted in David Villa firing the ball across the six-yard box for Fernando Morientes to score from close range.

Lethal counter-attack

The visitors stunned Olympiakos with a second just four minutes later when a rapid counter-attack put Miguel Angulo through on goal and after Nkopolidis saved from the winger, Morientes tapped in for his second.

More excellent play on the counter involving Morientes and Villa resulted in Jaime Gavilan shooting straight at the Olympiakos keeper shortly before half time as Valencia threatened to put the game out of sight for the Greeks.

David Villa had two good opportunities in the opening five minutes of the second half to extend the away side’s lead before the Spanish striker then failed to beat Nikopolidis when put through on goal. Olympiakos almost equalised when Konstantinou’s header brought an outstanding save out of Canizares as the game really opened up.

Rivaldo goes close

Rivaldo tested Canizares with another curling free-kick just after the hour mark, but the veteran keeper pushed the Brazilian’s shot round the post. Olympiakos did get their equaliser just a few minutes later when Uruguayan Nery Castillo excellently controlled a long ball on his chest before hitting a clinical left-footed shot into the bottom corner.

Former Barcelona man Rivaldo should have put Olympiakos ahead with fifteen minutes left, but the 34-year-old former FIFA World Player of the Year blazed over when the ball fell kindly to him inside the area.

Valencia’s Brazilian midfielder Edu drew a good save from Nikipolidis with an excellent left-footed striker, and Valencia went back into the lead from the resulting corner. The ball was cleared to Albiol inside the area, and the defender smashed an unstoppable drive into the corner to win the match for his side with five minutes remaining.

Morientes powered a header past Nikopolidis from a corner in the 90th minute to put the seal on a fully deserved victory with Valencia’s fourth. The Spanish side play Roma, who beat Shakhtar 4-0 in Italy, in their next fixture on Wednesday 27th September at the Mestalla.

Olympiakos:
Nikopolidis, Zewlakov (Pantos, 46), Domi, Anatolakis (Julio Cesar, 69), Ouaddou, Kafes, Stoltidis, Djordjevic, Rivaldo, Castillo, Konstantinou.
Yellow Cards: Ouaddou (44)

Valencia:
Canizares, Miguel, Moretti, Ayala, Marchena, Albiol, Edu, Gavilian (Silva, 72), Angulo, Villa (Regueiro, 81), Morientes (Lopez, 90)
Yellow Cards: Edu (75), Ayala (83)

Goals:
[1-0] Konstantinou, 28
[1-1] Morientes, 34
[1-2] Morientes, 39
[2-2] Castilo, 66
[2-3] Albiol, 85
[2-4] Morientes, 90