Olympiakos 1 - Valencia 0

Valencia: Cañizares; Gerardo, Djukic, Pellegrino, Carboni; Parri, Deschamps, Albelda (Milla 48'), Vicente; Angulo, Diego Alonso (Carew 70'). 4-4-2.

Goals:
1-0. 65. Djordjevic (penalty). After Deschamps tripped Giannakopoulos.

With a team packed with reserves, Valencia lost their first game in this year's edition of the Champions League. Having won four out of four, the European sub-champions were already qualified for the next stage, and with a horrendous number of games scheduled for the next month, their manager Héctor Cúper decided to leave many of his top players at home. Club captain Mendieta was suspended anyway, and Cúper changed his whole first choice midfield and attack plus his right back, giving youngsters Gerardo and Parri their first start of the season, alongside under 21 internationals Vicente, Albelda and Angulo. Deschamps returned to the side after a few weeks out through injury, and Diego Alonso was given another chance up front. It was surprising however that second choice keeper Palop was not given a run out, and he complained in the local press of the lack of opportunity this season after replacing the then injured Cañizares for several weeks last year with great success.

The atmosphere in the Spiros Louis stadium in Athens was typical of any Greek amphitheatre, i.e. frightening, with 60,000 fanatical supporters cheering their team on. It is worth noting that, according to usually reliable sources, no Spanish team has been able to win on Greek soil in the last thirty seven years, and with Olympiakos needing a victory to be almost sure of getting through to the next round, Valencia were on a hiding to nothing. They started well though, cutting out the Olympiakos attacks efficiently, and they were unlucky not to score when Angulo was incorrectly ruled offside after 15 minutes. Although the Greek side spent most of the game in Valencia's half, ex Barcelona striker Giovanni and his colleagues only managed a couple of shots at goal in all the first half, and Cañizares was only called upon to take the resulting goalkicks.

The story was repeated at the beginning of the second half, with Carboni finally getting the third yellow card he was looking for to enable him to miss the next (unimportant) match and start with a clean slate for the second phase. In the next play however, Deschamps tripped Giannakopoulos (trying saying that name after ten pints of humus) and Djordjevic converted the resulting penalty kick. Cúper, who had brought on Milla just after the interval, immediately introduced Carew as Valencia came out looking for the equaliser, and Vicente was unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty after he was tackled by the unpronounceable Patsatzoglou in the penalty area. A minute later Carew's header was well saved by the wonderfully named Eleftheropoulos (pity the football commentators in that country), and after that Olympiakos closed ranks, taking off centre forward Choutos to put on a more defensive player. The loss was Valencia's first defeat since the opening game of the season, and they still need a point in two weeks time at home to Heerenveen to be sure of winning their group. They have twelve points followed by Olympiakos now with nine, Olympique Lyon with six and Heerenveen with three.