Sollied sad to bow out

Rivaldo's late strike gave Olympiacos CFP their first UEFA Champions League win of the season, although the Greek side still bowed out of European competition after finishing bottom of Group F. They prevailed 2-1 against a makeshift Real Madrid CF side who were coached by Juan Ramón López Caro for the first time and took an early lead when Sergio Ramos headed his first goal for the club. Erol Bulut equalised with a brilliant volley early in the second half before the Brazilian clinched victory three minutes from time.

Trond Sollied, Olympiacos coach
Our performance in the second half showed that we deserved more than four points from our UEFA Champions League adventure this season. I would like to congratulate every one of my players for the hard work they put in today. And I would also like to thank our supporters, because they gave us that extra ten per cent of strength in the second half and helped us to equalise and eventually win. When you concede early goals it doesn't have to influence your game plan too much, you don't have to make sudden changes. Today, we pointed out the things that weren't going well and we tried to get the team back on the right track in the second half. The most important thing is that our team is creating chances. It's hard to accept that we won't be continuing in European competition as Olympiacos can match up to any team in terms of technique.

Juan Ramón López Caro, Madrid coach
For Madrid, winning is always an obligation. Today, in these special circumstances with this unprecedented lineup, our attitude was correct. The lads played collectively, they were disciplined and made a great effort. However, in football you pay for your mistakes. We made mistakes and conceded goals just when we were in control of the encounter. We created many chances but failed to seal the victory. I am particularly proud and pleased with the performance and the attitude of the young players who made their Champions League debut today.