Champions League

[monks data]

Champions League | Group Stage

Sep 16, 2014 at 7.45pm UK

Olympiacos Olympiacos
3-2
Atletico Atletico Madrid

Masuaku (13'), Affelay (31'), Mitroglou (73')

FT(HT: 2-1)

Mandzukic (38'), Griezmann (86')

Atletico Madrid fightback falls short in Greece as Olympiacos win 3-2

By Joe Fish, Reporter | 16 September 2014

Last season's beaten finalists Atletico Madrid start their 2014 Champions League campaign with defeat as Olympiacos emerge victors from a 3-2 thriller in Greece.

Last season's beaten finalists Atletico Madrid lost out to Olympiacos in a 3-2 thriller in Athens in their opening Champions League Group A game this evening.

The Greeks moved two goals ahead before Mario Mandzukic pulled one back before the interval, only for Kostas Mitroglou to restore his side's cushion. Antoine Griezmann came off the bench to grab Atletico an 86th-minute reply, but the visitors could not rescue a point as they were surprisingly beaten three days after they knocked off rivals Real Madrid.

The Spanish champions had seen their 2014 European kickoff gatecrashed by an exiled La Liga star, as Ibrahim Affelay helped Olympiacos to a two-goal advantage after half an hour of play.

The manner of the first goal was strangely out of character for Atletico as they fell asleep at a corner kick.

Olympiacos took it short and Barcelona loanee Affelay laid the ball off for Arthur Masuaku, a summer signing from Valenciennes, to fire powerfully left-footed into the bottom corner from 25 yards out.

The Dutchman then added his own name to the scoresheet by beating deputy Atletico keeper Jan Oblak in the same part of the goal, after a Mario Suarez tackle had fallen kindly into his path.

Mandzukic, who shook off an early knock to head over a Koke corner earlier in the first half, pulled one back for the visitors on 38 minutes when he powered Cristian Ansaldi's cross into the net.

Atletico took this momentum into the second half as they threatened an equaliser three times in the space of four minutes, with Griezmann's shot bound for the top corner palmed away by Roberto.

The home goalkeeper saved from the Frenchman again two minutes later before Madrid derby match winner Arda Turan sliced a shot narrowly wide of the far post, but it was Olympiacos who struck next.

Fulham flop Mitroglou converted from a cross by former Cottagers teammate Pajtim Kasami on 74 minutes.

Griezmann scored his first Atletico goal since his £24m move from Real Sociedad when he tapped in from Koke's square pass, but that did not stop Diego Simeone's side from falling to a disappointing loss.