Champions League knockout phase play-off second leg: Bayer Leverkusen vs Olympiacos facts

Bayer Leverkusen are closing in on a place in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 for the second season running as Olympiacos come to Germany facing a 2-0 deficit in the second leg of their knockout phase play-off.

Patrik Schick's second-half double (60, 63) gave Leverkusen victory in Piraeus – where they had been beaten 2-0 on Matchday 7 – on 18 February as Olympiacos' first Champions League knockout phase game in 12 seasons ended in defeat.

Leverkusen were 16th in the league phase on 12 points (W3 D3 L2); Olympiacos won their last three fixtures to finish 18th on 11 points (W3 D2 L3).

Last match

First-half goals from Costinha (2) and Mehdi Taremi (45+1) gave Olympiacos a 2-0 victory against Leverkusen in Piraeus on 20 January.

The clubs' only other meetings came in the 2002/03 first group stage, Olympiacos winning 6-2 in Greece before Leverkusen triumphed 2-0 in Germany.

Leverkusen's Matchday 7 loss at Olympiacos is their only defeat in their last five games against Greek opponents (W3 D1) and the only one in which they conceded a goal.

Die Werkself's home record against Greek visitors is W3 D1 L1.

This is Leverkusen's third knockout tie against Greek opponents. They lost 4-6 on aggregate to AEK Athens in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup third round having beaten Panathinaikos 5-3 in the 1993/94 European Cup Winners' Cup second round.

The Matchday 7 defeat of Leverkusen is Olympiacos' only win in 15 games against Bundesliga opposition (D1 L13), since a 3-1 home group stage victory against Borussia Dortmund in October 2011.

Olympiacos have won only one of their 11 away matches against German teams (D1 L9) – 3-1 at Werder Bremen in the 2007/08 group stage.

This is Olympiacos' third two-legged European tie against German opposition. They lost 2-7 on aggregate to Bayern München in the 1980/81 European Cup first round and 0-5 to Hamburg in the second round of the same competition in 1982/83.

Leverkusen 

Leverkusen are featuring in the Champions League proper for the 15th time – although only the fourth in nine seasons.

In 2024/25 a team coached by Xabi Alonso finished sixth in the league phase (W5 D1 L2) only to lose an all-German last-16 tie to Bayern München (0-3 a, 0-2 h).

Olympiacos

This is Olympiacos' 21st appearance in the Champions League proper – but a first since 2020/21. That ended in the group stage, for the fifth successive Champions League campaign.

The Greek side lost to Bodø/Glimt in last season's Europa League round of 16, having finished seventh in the league phase.

Key stats

Olympiacos defender Panagiotis Retsos joined Leverkusen from the Greek outfit in August 2017. He made 44 appearances for Die Werkself between 2017 and 2022, when he rejoined Olympiacos.

Leverkusen are in the knockout phase for the second season in a row and the ninth overall.

Die Werkself have lost their last six Champions League knockout ties, all in the round of 16, since beating Manchester United on away goals in the 2001/02 semi-finals. They have lost ten of their last 13 knockout matches (W2 D1).

Defeat at Olympiacos is Leverkusen's only loss in six Champions League matches (W4 D1), with four clean sheets.

Leverkusen have lost only two of their last 18 home European games (W11 D5).

The German club have progressed in 24 of 26 European ties after winning the first leg, including ten of 11 when that first‑leg victory came away from home. They have also won all seven ties in which they held a two‑goal first-leg advantage.

Schick's first-leg goals were the first time a Leverkusen player had scored twice in a Champions League knockout phase match since Michael Ballack against Liverpool in April 2002.

Olympiacos are in the knockout phase for the first time since 2013/14.

The Greek club have lost all four of their Champions League knockout ties.

Olympiacos have won the second leg in five of their last six European ties (L1).

The Piraeus team have lost all ten European ties in which they were beaten by a two‑goal margin in the first leg.