Olympiacos 2-1 West Ham: Hammers fall to first Europa League loss of campaign despite Lucas Paqueta goal

West Ham United suffered their first European defeat in 17 games as Olympiacos emerged 2-1 victors in their UEFA Europa League Group A clash.

In a game that was lacking any real quality, Kostas Fortounis popped up in the 33rd minute with a moment of magic. The Olympiacos captain picked the ball up in a central position, turned away from a couple of West Ham bodies before firing an effort past Alphonse Areola from around 25 yards out.

Olympiacos continued to push, sensing they could get a second before half-time and they did exactly that thanks to a large slice of luck. Rodinei fired in a hopeful ball from the right-hand side and Angelo Ogbonna got his clearance all wrong, slicing the ball into the back of the net past Areola.

David Moyes made a triple change just before the hour mark, bringing on Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio in the hopes of getting West Ham back into the game.

The Hammers continued to struggle to find their rhythm, and the more they pushed forward in search of pulling one back the more susceptible they looked to conceding a third. Fortounis and Daniel Podence began to find themselves in more and more space as the game went on as West Ham decided to roll the dice.

Sotiris Alexandropoulos had a big chance to make it 3-0 with 10 minutes to go, finding space in the box before firing a vicious effort on target which was saved well by Areola.

Paqueta halved the deficit for his side after 86 minutes, smashing home a terrific strike on the volley but it was too little too late for The Hammers.

David Moyes will be bitterly disappointed with his side’s performance in Piraeus, despite the late fightback sparked by Lucas Paqueta’s wonderful strike. The Hammers just couldn’t get going in a Karaiskakis Stadium that had a ferocious atmosphere from minute one.

It’s important that West Ham do not mull for too long over this result though, they are still in a terrific position, level at the top of Group A with Freiburg with six points each and with three more games still to play. Another reason for West Ham to not let this result sit with them for too long is that next up in the competition is Olympiacos – this time at the London Stadium.

With the Freiburg away match and the Olympiacos away match now both played, West Ham can look forward to two of their last three Europa League matches being at home and will be hoping they can count on their supporters to help them into the knockout stages of the competition.

The Olympiacos skipper was sensational for his side. Almost everything good that Olympiacos did went through the 31-year-old Greece international. It was his superb goal on 33 minutes that fired the hosts ahead but it was his all round performance which was most impressive. His passing was sublime, particularly his long passing which helped shift the ball from one side to the other, often releasing the likes of Sotiris Alexandropoulous, Ayoub El Kaabi or Daniel Podence on the other side into space (6/8 long passes completed). A thoroughly brilliant display.

Olympiacos: Paschalakis 6, Rodinei 8, Porozo 8, Retsos 7, Ortega 7, Hezze 7, Camara 6, Podence 8, Alexandropoulos 7, Fortounis 9, El Kaabi 6 Subs: Quini 6, Masouras 6, Solbakken 6, Scarpa N/A, Jovetic N/A

West Ham United: Areola 6, Emerson 6, Ogbonna 5, Mavropanos 6, Kehrer 6, Soucek 6, Ward-Prowse 6, Fornals 6, Benrahma 6, Kudus 6, Ings 6 Subs: Paqueta 6, Bowen 6, Antonio 6, Alvarez 6, Cornet 6

33’ GOAL – OLYMPIACOS – What a goal from Kostas Fortounis, out of absolutely nothing! Fortounis picks the ball up in a pocket of space in the middle, wriggles away from James Ward-Prowse before toe-poking it past Areola from around 25 yards out!

45’ GOAL – OLYMPIACOS – The hosts have doubled their lead in first half stoppage time! Rodinei fires in a hopeful cross and Angelo Ogbonna slices his clearance past Areola and into the back of the net.

56′ A HUGE CHANCE FOR 3-0 – West Ham give the ball away in a dangerous position, Daniel Podence finds space in the box and looks to pull it back to an Olympiacos team mate but Ward-Prowse does enough to flick the ball away. Olympiacos really should have made that move pay.

87′ GOAL – WEST HAM UNITED An absolutely brilliant goal from Lucas Paqueta has halved the deficit! The Brazilian ran onto the ball smashing it home on the volley.

• West Ham’s 17-match unbeaten record in European competition (an English record) has come to an end.