Olympiakos 2 - Real Sociedad 2

Olympiakos: Katergiannakis; Pantos, Antzas (Kafes 46'), Anatolakis, Venetidis (Tatsis 86'); Mavrogenidis (Niniadis 57'), Stoltidis, Karembeu, Georgiadis; Castillo, Giovanni. 4-4-2.
Real Sociedad: Westerveld; López Rekarte, Jauregi, Schürrer, Aranzábal; Xabi Alonso (Boris 90'), Alkiza; Karpin (Aranburu 82'), Nihat (Lee Chun Soo 76'), Gabilondo; Kovacevic. 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
0-1. 30. Gabilondo. Ran on to long Alkiza pass to steer shot round keeper.
1-1. 59. Stoltidis. Struck long shot wide of Westerveld following Giovanni free kick.
2-1. 71. Castillo. Picked up through ball and rounded Westerveld to score.
2-2. 74. Schürrer. First time volley wide of keeper from Aranzábal cross.

Group D :
Juventus................. 10 points
Real Sociedad...... 8 points
Galatasaray............ 6 points
Olympiakos ........... 4 points

Real Sociedad are close to reaching the knock out stages after a battling 2-2 draw against Olympiakos. The Basque side were pegged back early on and ex Barcelona striker Giovanni almost succeeded in chipping Westerveld. But the nippy Nihat caused a few problems for the Greek side on quick breakaways, and with half an hour gone Real took the lead, Gabilondo running on to a long Alkiza pass out of midfield and rolling the ball into the net round the advancing keeper from left of goal.

The Spaniards appeared to be well on the way to qualifying, but things went wrong in a fifteen minute period in the second half, with Stoltidis equalising with a long bouncing shot following Giovanni's short, back-heeled free kick, and Kovacevic getting sent off for a rigorous second yellow card, supposedly for hand ball, by Luxembourg referee Alain Hamer. Minutes later Castillo put the Greeks ahead with a goal very similar to Gabilondo's early strike, and suddenly Real were up against it.

Only three minutes later though, Schürrer came to the rescue as makeshift centre forward to volley home Aranzábal's cross and maintain the four point gap over their opponents. All eyes are now on the postponed match between Galatasaray and Juventus, but even if the Turkish side win that game, the Spaniards will only need a draw against them in the last group match in the Anoeta stadium to go through to the last 16 together with Juventus.

PS. Galatasaray beat a depleted Juventus team 2-0 on 2nd December, and Real Sociedad therefore need to draw against the Turkish side in the last game to qualify for the next round.