The sacking of coach Temuri Ketsbaia from Olympiakos was the major talk ahead of the Reds crucial Match Day one match against Dutch champions AZ Alkmaar. The reds held on for a 1-0 win, but were far from convincing.

Meanwhile, APOEL showed quality in the Cypriot side’s first ever Group Stage Champions League match away to Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, earning a 0-0 draw.

Olympiakos 1 – AZ Alkmaar (NED) 0

Temuri Ketsbaia didn’t even manage to last until the first group game of the Champions League with Olympiakos, and the Reds went into the all-important opening match without a coach.

After a scoreless first half, a late Vassilis Torosidis goal gave them a 1-0 victory against AZ Alkmaar as new coach Zico looked on from the stands.

Olympiakos confirmed Zico’s appointment on a two-year contract before kick-off but went into the match without a coach. Defences dominated and chances were few and far between.

But in the 79th minute Vassilis Torosidis rose to head in Jaouad Zairi’s right-wing cross giving Olympiakos a first Match Day one home win in four attempts.

AZ had the first sight of goal when Moussa Dembele broke down the right and crossed for Maarten Martens, who contrived to bundle the ball over from two metres out, when it looked easier to score than miss.

Denied the attacking talents of midfielders Enzo Maresca and Luciano Galletti through injury as well as striker Matt Derbyshire, Olympiakos looked pleased to sit back and wait for the counter attacking possibilities.

Their right flank looked the most likely source of a goal with Leonardo prodding wide from Zairi’s centre before Diogo glanced a header off target following another cross by the Moroccan.

The hosts should have been ahead ten minutes after the break when the overlapping Michal Zewlakow delivered a low cross from the right which Diogo dummied cleverly, only for Dudu to fire over when well positioned near the penalty spot.

AZ responded with a forward thrust of their own but David Mendes da Silva’s fierce drive flashed narrowly over the crossbar. Next to try his luck was Brett Holman, the Aussie cutting inside after 72 minutes and testing the reflexes of Antonis Nikopolidis with a powerful effort from distance which the former Greek international diverted to safety.

Stand-in coach Bozidar Bandovic responded by introducing striker Kostas Mitroglou, and within four minutes the deadlock was broken as Torosidis charged in unchallenged from a central position to head in Zairi’s clipped cross.

Koeman threw men forward in a desperate attempt to level the match and Nikopolidis need to be at his best to save substitute Jeremain Lens’s strike from distance.

Atletico Madird (SPA) 0 – APOEL (CYP) 0

Cypriot first-timers APOEL enjoyed a fine start to life in the Champions League taking away a point against a very attacking Atletico Madrid. APOEL’s disciplined defensive display earned Ivan Jovanovic’s side an unexpected draw in Spain.

The Cypriot champions used the experience gained during the summer to frustrate some of the biggest names in Spanish football.

Although Diego Forlan twice went close in the final moments, striking the crossbar with a thunderous effort from 25 metres, APOEL can take huge heart from the Group D result.

APOEL entered the game well, and had the home supporters gasping in the seventh minute when Kamil Kosowski’s cross from the left found Konstantinos Charalambides in space at the far post, Sergio Asenjo coming to Atletico’s rescue with a fine stop.

The hosts were unable to penetrate APOEL’s defence despite decent periods of possession and instead it was APOEL who again came close to an opening goal, Charalambides turning provider with a left-wing free-kick that was narrowly missed by Paulo Jorge.

Jose Manuel Jurado should have done better when an Altin Haxhi error allowed the former Mallorca attacker to run in on goal, but once again Chiotis saved the day.

Neither side had managed a win in their two opening domestic league games and confidence among both teams appeared low as yet another opportunity went begging, Charalambides passing up the opportunity to lift his side’s spirits by firing wide when unmarked at the far post.

With the second half beginning to drift into the same pattern as the first, home coach Abel Resino introduced Maxi Rodriguez and the Argentinian made an immediate impact as Los Rojiblancos upped the pace.

Jurado was first to spot the spaces in the APOEL rearguard when he struck from the edge of the area only for Chiotis to palm away.

The former AEK goalkeeper then did equally well to beat out a Forlan effort, although the home support was beginning to sense a breakthrough and thought their moment had arrived when Simao set up Aguero, but again Chiotis was equal to it.

Still Atletico came and Forlan went close with a free kick that zipped wide, while APOEL’s Marcin Zewlakow might have done better than head Nuno Morais’s corner wide.

Play swung straight back up the other end and Forlan continued to menace, striking the upright with a drive from distance before being denied by the excellent Chiotis from similar range.

APOEL held firm, however, and prepare to face Chelsea in Cyprus on Match Day 2 while Atletico travel to FC Porto, the team that eliminated Resino’s side in last season’s first knockout round.