ATHENS: Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick struck twice in three minutes to steer his team to a 2-0 victory at Olympiacos in their Champions League playoff first leg on Wednesday.
The Czech forward slipped past his marker and slotted in on the hour mark before quickly bagging a second goal with a downward header from Alex Grimaldo's corner.
It was the 30-year-old's first double in a Champions League match and he took his goal tally to four from his last six appearances in the competition.
Schick also became only the second Leverkusen player to score two goals in a Champions League knockout phase match, the first being Michael Ballack in 2002.
The Germans' last loss was to the Greek side in the league phase on January 20 and they have now gone seven consecutive matches without defeat across all competitions.
In a pulsating first half, Olympiacos keeper Kostas Tzolakis twice came to the rescue with superb saves in succession, first blocking a Schick effort from close range before palming Ibrahim Maza's point-blank volley onto the crossbar in the 28th minute.
Ernest Poku should have scored for the visitors two minutes later when he had only Tzolakis to beat but his low shot sailed wide.
The hosts thought they had finally broken the deadlock on the stroke of halftime when Ayoub El Kaabi headed in off the post from a free kick but after a VAR review the goal was disallowed for offside.
Leverkusen quickly took control in the second half and Schick's double took the wind out of Olympiacos' sails. The hosts tried to find a way back but despite having possession in the last 20 minutes, they could not create clear scoring chances.
"Two chances two goals. They punished us and we will have to look at our mistakes," Olympiacos captain Panagiotis Retsos said. "We have to go to Germany to try and advance. Nothing is over yet."
Leverkusen will look to seal a round-of-16 spot in the return leg in Germany next week.
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