Olympiacos beat Sparta Prague 1-0 thanks to a second-half header.

The UEFA Europa League League Phase match took place on 22 October 2026 at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus. Olympiacos hosted Sparta Prague in front of a lively home crowd, both sides looking to claim three points in the competition.

How it unfolded

The first half was largely cagey, with both teams probing for openings but finding few clear chances. Discipline became a talking point early on when Sparta Prague’s Jaroslav Zelený was shown a yellow card in the 29th minute for a bad foul. The warning did not deter the Czech side, but another booking followed nine minutes later as Roman Macek received a yellow card in the 38th minute, also for a bad foul.

The second half saw the tempo rise. Sparta Prague’s Ebrima Singhateh was cautioned in the 77th minute, again for a bad foul, as the visitors pushed for an equaliser. Just a minute later, Olympiacos broke the deadlock. Armando González rose to meet a cross from Marcus Holmgren Pedersen and headed the ball from the centre of the box into the bottom right corner, giving the home side a 1-0 lead in the 78th minute. The goal shifted the momentum decisively in Olympiacos’ favour.

Sparta Prague attempted to respond, but their efforts were hampered by another booking for Martin Suchomel in the 80th minute, again for a bad foul. Olympiacos also saw a yellow card issued to Jota Silva in the 83rd minute for a bad foul, as the match grew more physical in its closing stages. The final whistle blew after Gelson Martins was shown a yellow card in added time (90'+2') for a bad foul, sealing a disciplined yet intense encounter.

Standout performers

  • Armando González (Olympiacos) – Scored the only goal of the match with a well-timed header in the 78th minute, providing the decisive breakthrough.
  • Marcus Holmgren Pedersen (Olympiacos) – Delivered the cross that led to González’s header, contributing the key assist.

Match facts

  • Final score: Olympiacos 1-0 Sparta Prague
  • Goal: Armando González (78’) – assist by Marcus Holmgren Pedersen
  • Yellow cards:
    • Jaroslav Zelený (Sparta Prague, 29’)
    • Roman Macek (Sparta Prague, 38’)
    • Ebrima Singhateh (Sparta Prague, 77’)
    • Martin Suchomel (Sparta Prague, 80’)
    • Jota Silva (Olympiacos, 83’)
    • Gelson Martins (Olympiacos, 90'+2’)
  • Venue: Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus

What it means

The win gives Olympiacos three points in the UEFA Europa League League Phase, keeping their campaign on track, while Sparta Prague return to the bench having failed to secure a point in this away fixture.