Olympiakos 2-0 Manchester United

Manchester United's Champions League campaign is in serious peril after they were comfortably beaten by Olympiakos in the last-16 first leg in Athens.

United, who registered only one shot on target, fell behind when Alejandro Dominguez diverted home Giannis Maniatis's effort before the break.

Arsenal loanee Joel Campbell's precise shot doubled the lead and the visitors only came to life late on.

Trouble at the top end

• Robin van Persie completed only 12 of the 21 passes he attempted during the game.
• The Dutchman registered United's only shot on target in the 89th minute.

Robin van Persie blazed over the top when they finally opened up the Greeks.

It would have been an injustice to the hosts had the Dutchman converted his late chance, however, after United's current limitations were exposed on a chastening night.

Olympiakos lead the Greek Super League by 20 points, having won 24 of 26 games, in sharp contrast to their opponents' increasingly forlorn Premier League title defence.

And, after reverses for Manchester City and Arsenal last week, the Greeks inflicted the third defeat of the round for English sides.

Olympiakos manager Michel had suggested before kick-off that United, whose best hope of passage into next year's Champions League appeared to be winning this season's competition, could fold under the pressure of knockout football.

The visitors, who were famously eliminated by Galatasaray in a similarly white-hot atmosphere in Istanbul in 1993, certainly fuelled the noisy home fans' enthusiasm with some early defensive wobbles.

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Moyes takes responsibility for defeat

After Rio Ferdinand had misplaced a couple of passes, a last-ditch challenge from Nemanja Vidic only just ended Dominguez's run after he had advanced into the area unchallenged.

Dominguez continued to orchestrate Olympiakos's attacks from an advanced midfield role and with Juan Mata cup-tied, Adnan Januzaj left out of the match-day squad and Rooney frustrated by the referee and his own performance, the visitors lacked a similarly commanding figure.

So it was fitting that it was the Argentine who opened the scoring.

Maniatis's trundling low shot posed little danger to United goalkeeper David De Gea, but Dominguez's outstretched foot cleverly diverted the ball into the opposite corner giving the Spaniard too much ground to make up.

United, who had lacked energy and invention, showed slightly more purpose before the break, but could not create any clear-cut chances, goalkeeper Roberto dealing competently with the visitors' crosses.

History boys

The last time that Manchester United overturned a two-goal deficit in Europe was when they beat Diego Maradona's Barcelona 3-0 at Old Trafford in March 1984 in the quarter-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup.

David Moyes's half-time team-talk needed to focus players' minds and change their tactics but neither was in evidence as Tom Cleverley knocked the ball out of play under no pressure soon after kick-off.

A goal down, the visitors had no room for further error and Campbell's superb curling effort, after he slipped Michael Carrick's flimsy challenge, threatened to cut them adrift in the tie.

Moyes introduced Shinji Kagawa and Danny Welbeck at the expense of Antonio Valencia and Cleverley, but it did little to change the momentum.

Michael Olaitan sent a shot fizzing just over as the hosts revelled in the space and uncertainty in United's defence.

Only in the final 10 minutes were United able to bring any pressure to bear, but, after two measured touches had given him a clear sight of goal, Van Persie crashed over the top with his weaker right foot from Chris Smalling's cross.

It summed up a miserable new episode in Moyes's faltering first season in charge.

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Olympiakos

• 16Jiménez Gago
• 30Salino
• 20Holebas
• 8Ndinga
• 24Manolas
• 25Marcano
• 26CampbellSubstituted forFusterat 67'minutes
• 2Maniatis
• 99Olaitan
• 35DomínguezSubstituted forMachadoat 76'minutes
• 17PérezSubstituted forValdezat 86'minutes

Substitutes

• 5Machado
• 14Samaris
• 18Valdez
• 19Fuster
• 21Papadopoulos
• 42Megyeri
• 88Bong

Man Utd

• 1de Gea
• 12Smalling
• 3EvraBooked at 3mins
• 16Carrick
• 5FerdinandBooked at 90mins
• 15Vidic
• 25A ValenciaSubstituted forWelbeckat 60'minutes
• 23CleverleySubstituted forKagawaat 61'minutes
• 20van Persie
• 10Rooney
• 18Young

Substitutes

• 11Giggs
• 13Lindegaard
• 14Hernández
• 19Welbeck
• 26Kagawa
• 28Büttner
• 31Fellaini

Referee:

Gianluca Rocchi

Match Stats

Home TeamOlympiakosAway TeamMan Utd

Possession

Home39%

Away61%

Shots

Home12

Away7

Shots on Target

Home4

Away1

Corners

Home1

Away4

Fouls

Home10

Away10

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Olympiakos 2, Manchester United 0.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+4'

Second Half ends, Olympiakos 2, Manchester United 0.

Posted at 90'+4'

Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Jose Holebas.

Posted at 90'+4'

Attempt blocked. Ashley Young (Manchester United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.

Booking

Posted at 90'

Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 90'

Foul by Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United).

Posted at 90'

David Fuster (Olympiakos) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 89'

Attempt saved. Robin van Persie (Manchester United) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Danny Welbeck.

Posted at 88'

Shinji Kagawa (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 88'

Foul by Leandro Salino (Olympiakos).

Posted at 87'

Foul by Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United).

Posted at 87'

Paulo Machado (Olympiakos) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 86'

Foul by Wayne Rooney (Manchester United).

Posted at 86'

Nelson Valdez (Olympiakos) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Substitution

Posted at 86'

Substitution, Olympiakos. Nelson Valdez replaces Hernán Pérez.

Posted at 82'

Attempt missed. Robin van Persie (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Chris Smalling with a cross.

Posted at 81'

Attempt blocked. Robin van Persie (Manchester United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Posted at 78'

Corner, Olympiakos. Conceded by Patrice Evra.

Substitution

Posted at 76'

Substitution, Olympiakos. Paulo Machado replaces Alejandro Domínguez.

Posted at 75'

Foul by Wayne Rooney (Manchester United).

Posted at 75'

Michael Olaitan (Olympiakos) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 69'

Foul by Patrice Evra (Manchester United).

Posted at 69'

Leandro Salino (Olympiakos) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 68'

Foul by Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United).

Posted at 68'

Michael Olaitan (Olympiakos) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Substitution

Posted at 67'

Substitution, Olympiakos. David Fuster replaces Joel Campbell.

Posted at 67'

Attempt missed. Michael Olaitan (Olympiakos) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses the top right corner.

Posted at 65'

Attempt missed. Giannis Maniatis (Olympiakos) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.

Posted at 64'

Attempt missed. Danny Welbeck (Manchester United) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ashley Young with a cross.

Posted at 62'

Offside, Manchester United. Patrice Evra tries a through ball, but Danny Welbeck is caught offside.

Substitution

Posted at 61'

Substitution, Manchester United. Shinji Kagawa replaces Tom Cleverley.

Substitution

Posted at 60'

Substitution, Manchester United. Danny Welbeck replaces Luis Antonio Valencia.

Posted at 58'

Offside, Manchester United. David de Gea tries a through ball, but Robin van Persie is caught offside.

Posted at 57'

Offside, Manchester United. Patrice Evra tries a through ball, but Robin van Persie is caught offside.

Goal!

Posted at 54'

Goal! Olympiakos 2, Manchester United 0. Joel Campbell (Olympiakos) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Michael Olaitan.

Posted at 51'

Luis Antonio Valencia (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 51'

Foul by Jose Holebas (Olympiakos).

Posted at 48'

Attempt saved. Hernán Pérez (Olympiakos) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Delvin Ndinga.

Posted at 47'

Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 47'

Foul by Delvin Ndinga (Olympiakos).

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