United are now dangerously close to an exit from this season’s competition and 11 points off the pace in the battle to qualify for next season’s tournament via the league. PHOTO: AFP
The English champions must attempt to overturn a two-goal deficit in the home leg of the last-16 tie on March 19 after a limp display at the Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus in Tuesday’s first-leg.
Olympiakos were good value for their victory, secured through goals in each half from Alejandro Dominguez and Joel Campbell yet in United they came across surprisingly generous opponents.
Careless in defence and short of ideas in midfield, United failed to muster a single shot on target during the game and did not seriously threaten until Robin van Persie shot over the bar in the 82nd minute.
“I’m just surprised,” a shell-shocked Moyes told journalists afterwards.
“I didn’t see that level of performance coming. I still didn’t think we were necessarily two goals worse off in the game. However, we didn’t offer enough on the night to create a goal, really.”
Democratic in his criticism of his players, Moyes added: “We never really got to grips with things. To a man, you could hardly pick anybody out [who played well].
“We just didn’t perform well tonight [Tuesday]. We came into the game in good form, with a good mindset, but it didn’t show.”
The defeat, United’s first against a Greek team, was the latest sorry chapter in a season of misery for Moyes and his faltering side.
“The players are hurting as well,” he said. “They know how they performed. But there’s a team here, and we won’t change. We’ll stick together.”
Klopp delights as Dortmund hit top gear
Coach Jurgen Klopp said Borussia Dortmund had produced a near-perfect performance to leave them on the verge of the quarter-finals after routing Zenit St Petersburg away on Tuesday.
Poland striker Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Dortmund romped to a 4-2 win at Zenit’s Petrovsky Stadium in the last 16, first-leg clash.
Klopp was delighted as Borussia bounced back from Saturday’s shock 3-0 defeat at relegation-threatened Hamburg in the Bundesliga to dominate Zenit.
Last season’s finalists raced to a 2-0 lead, with goals by Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marco Reus inside the first five minutes, to leave the Russians reeling.
“That was close to an optimal performance,” said Klopp.
“In terms of pressing and counter pressing, that was a copybook performance from us against a dangerous team.
“We were incredibly active and aggressive. It’s not easy to do that and the team put in a fantastic performance.”
Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th, 2014.
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