Antwerp defeats Olympiacos 3-0, Saliakas debuts

Olympiacos suffered a 3-0 defeat against Belgian side Antwerp in their fifth pre-season friendly. All three goals were scored by the home team in the second half, overshadowing a debut appearance for Manolis Saliakas, who entered the game in the 80th minute.

The first half saw limited clear-cut chances for Olympiacos, despite goalkeeper Popovic making several saves to deny Antwerp. While Olympiacos attempted to build play through players like Gelson Martins and Fortounis, they lacked a cutting edge. A header from Piroula in the 31st minute was the closest they came to scoring, but it was comfortably saved.

Antwerp broke the deadlock in the 68th minute through Gerson, whose initial shot deflected before he found the net. They extended their lead in the 74th minute with a strike from Verschaeren, and Gerson added his second goal in the 79th minute to seal the victory.

Olympiacos had a late chance to pull a goal back in the 84th minute when Bakoulas's shot from inside the box hit the post. The team's final friendly before their official season begins is against AZ Alkmaar on Saturday, July 25, ahead of their Champions League third qualifying round match against Nijmegen on August 4.