NEC Nijmegen held off Olympiacos Piraeus 2:1 in extra time to complete a remarkable comeback in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round on Monday evening. The hosts had trailed through Ayoub El Kaabi's 46th-minute strike before Brian Linssen equalised and Elyes Mor scored the winner in the 95th minute. Kostas Fortounis was sent off for Olympiacos in the 80th minute, turning the tie in NEC's favour.
El Kaabi gave Olympiacos the lead just before the break, capitalising on a defensive lapse after the interval. NEC responded with fresh legs, bringing on S. Ouaissa and P. Sandler early in the second half. Linssen found his equaliser in the 70th minute, and by then the momentum had shifted decisively toward the Dutch side.
The red card to Fortounis proved pivotal. Olympiacos, already reduced to ten men, could not contain NEC's pressure. K. Sierhuis had a goal disallowed for offside in the 90th minute, but Mor struck in injury time to complete the turnaround. The visitors had been out-thought on the touchline, and the substitution pattern told its own story.
NEC registered 144 attacks with 1.9 expected goals, while Olympiacos managed 140 attacks and 1.08 xG despite more possession in the opening half. The hosts created three big chances against three for the visitors, but NEC's shot accuracy of 41 per cent compared to 20 per cent for Olympiacos made the difference. Extra time brought four substitutions each side, but neither manager could rescue their position.
The result extends NEC's resilience in European qualifiers. They had drawn 0:0 with Olympiacos in their previous meeting earlier this month, but this time they seized the moment. Olympiacos now face another qualifying hurdle with a damaged lineup and mounting pressure to find consistency in their campaign.