Dnipro advance at Olympiacos' expense
Olympiacos FC 2-2 FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (agg: 2-4)The Ukrainian visitors responded twice to extinguish home hopes and put themselves into the round of 16 for the first time.
• Dnipro secure qualification with deserved draw in Piraeus
• Artem Fedetskiy's header cancels out Kostas Mitroglou's opener
• Hosts played 38 minutes with numerical inferiority after Luka Milivojević red card
• Both sides score late goals as Dnipro snuff out home hopes
• Artem Fedetskiy's header cancels out Kostas Mitroglou's opener
• Hosts played 38 minutes with numerical inferiority after Luka Milivojević red card
• Both sides score late goals as Dnipro snuff out home hopes
FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk put on a determined display in Greece, holding Olympiacos FC to a 2-2 draw and wrapping up qualification to the final 16 of the UEFA Europa League.
Having lost 2-0 in Ukraine, Olympiacos stormed out of the blocks to get the early opener that would change the tide. They came close after ten minutes of play, when Kostas Mitroglou received Alejandro Domínguez' cross from the right flank and fired at goal, only to be denied by Denys Boyko with an instinctive save.
Four minutes later however, the Greek international striker beat the 27-year old goalkeeper with a clinical finish, teed up by Luka Milivojević's perfect through ball. Olympiacos had their early lead and pushed forward for more. But they were not as thorough in their defensive tasks and Dnipro took advantage.
In the 22nd minute, Ruslan Rotan took the free-kick and Artem Fedetskiy's first header was saved brilliantly by Roberto but the Ukrainian defender was afforded time and space by the defence to get to the rebound and beat the Spanish goalkeeper for the equaliser.
Dnipro were looking increasingly comfortable on the pitch and came very close to a 2-1 lead in the 34th minute but Roberto denied Yevhen Konoplyanka's close-range effort. The same players were involved in the long-range opportunity Dnipro wasted five minutes later.
Things became tougher for Olympiacos after the interval, as they were reduced to ten in the 51st minute. Milivojević was shown the red card for a foul on Matheus as the latter was launching a counterattack. The match became more physical and opportunities were scarce.
However that changed in the final minutes, as Olympiacos tried to at least net a winner. After missing chances through Kostas Fortounis, Mitroglou and Dimitris Siovas, they were awarded a penalty when Domínguez was brought down by Fedetskiy. The Argentinian converted the spot kick in the 90th minute. But it wasn't over as Dnipro equalised again, with Nikola Kalinić culminating a counterattack to make it 2-2 in added time.
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