Bayer Leverkusen Reach Champions League Last 16 After Goalless Second Leg Against Olympiacos

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Bayer Leverkusen moved into the Champions League last 16 after a goalless draw with Olympiacos, completing a 2-0 aggregate victory in the play-off. The result confirms a tie against either Bayern Munich or Arsenal in the next round, with Leverkusen advancing despite failing to convert several clear openings in the second leg.

The advantage from Greece, where Leverkusen won 2-0 at Stadio Georgios Karaiskaki, proved decisive. That first-leg success was Leverkusen’s first away knockout win in the Champions League. Patrik Schick scored twice there, yet Leverkusen could not add to the tally at home, though progression and control over both legs remained clear.

This qualification means the Werkself reach the Champions League last 16 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign. Hjulmand will not care about the lack of goals on the night, as the main target was reached with minimal stress and another strong defensive display at home.

Leverkusen’s attacking output dropped compared to the first leg, and both teams struggled in front of goal. The hosts produced seven attempts with an expected goals (xG) value of 0.69, while Olympiacos generated only 0.21 xG from the same number of shots, underlining how few high-quality chances appeared.

Early on, Leverkusen created the best openings. Fresh from the brace in Piraeus, Schick first headed wide from an Alejandro Grimaldo cross, then could not lift a lob cleanly over Konstantinos Tzolakis. Jonas Hofmann’s fourth-minute strike was the only shot on target before half-time, reflecting the low attacking rhythm.

Olympiacos almost shifted momentum shortly after the interval. Five minutes into the second half, Gelson Martins drew a sprawling save from Janis Blaswich. Soon after, Martins delivered a dangerous ball across the area, which narrowly missed Chiquinho’s run, offering the visitors a brief spell of pressure at BayArena.

Leverkusen replied by stepping up the tempo around the hour mark. Grimaldo unleashed a powerful effort from distance that crashed against the crossbar, with Tzolakis beaten. Deep into stoppage time, Schick was released by Aleix Garcia and lifted the ball over Tzolakis, but the finish drifted just wide of the far post.

The defensive record may please Leverkusen most. The team has now gone five straight home matches in all competitions without conceding, their best run on their own pitch since a sequence of nine clean sheets that ended in May 2015. That platform now carries Leverkusen towards a high-profile last-16 meeting.