Olympiacos managed to avoid overall defeat at Karaiskaki Stadium in the first match of the third qualifying round of the Champions League.
On Wednesday, visitors Ludogorets proved to be tough competitors, and although Olympiacos had greater possession of the ball in the first half, they lacked precision and placement.
The second half brought more action on the goal scoring front. Pedro Martins noticed his Reds struggling on the pitch and removed Pierre Kunde from the match, substituting him with Yann M’Vila at the beginning of the second half.
Even with the swap, Ludogorets came bolstering through with a goal thanks to Kiril Despodov in the 50th minute.
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Having seen the visitors take the lead, Martins quickly threw Youssef El Arabi onto the pitch in the 53rd minute. After some missed opportunities for a goal, Olympiacos finally came through with a goal.
Martins’ decision to sub on Aguibou Camara in the 72nd minute paid off, as the 20-year-old fired an exception shot in the 87th, equalising the score 1-1.
The Reds will be heading to Bulgaria for the rematch to hopefully qualify for the play offs of the tournament.
Australian fans can catch the match at 4:00am AEST on Wednesday.
