Olympiacos vs Real Madrid Analysis & Tactics: Mbappé’s Four-Goal Rescue Job

Olympiacos vs Real Madrid analysis starts with one simple truth: Kylian Mbappé’s four goals saved Real Madrid in Piraeus, as Xabi Alonso’s bold 4-2-3-1 exposed both the team’s attacking potential and its defensive flaws in a chaotic 4–3 Champions League thriller.

Dek

Real Madrid survived a wild 4–3 in Piraeus thanks to Kylian Mbappé’s four goals and Vinícius Jr’s chaos down the left. Under huge pressure, Xabi Alonso doubled down on his attacking ideas rather than hiding behind the injury crisis.

key tactical themesKey Tactical Takeaways

• Xabi Alonso kept faith with an aggressive 4-2-3-1 despite a makeshift back line, trusting the double pivot of Tchouaméni–Camavinga plus Mbappé, Vinícius and Güler to win the game high up the pitch. Real Madrid CF | Web Oficial+1
• Olympiacos’ 4-2-3-1 exploited Real Madrid’s right side early, with Chiquinho scoring after an 8th-minute combination through Podence and El Kaabi, but struggled once Vinícius and Mbappé started attacking the space behind Rodinei. ESPN.com+1
• Mbappé’s seven-minute hat-trick (22′, 24′, 29′) – the second-fastest in Champions League history – came from three different patterns: a depth run, a cross, and a half-space through ball. ESPN.com+1
• Real Madrid’s rest-defence wobbled badly once Camavinga went off at half-time with illness; Olympiacos drove the right flank to drag Trent and Asencio around and found headed goals for Taremi (52′) and El Kaabi (81′). SI+1
• xG finished 1.65–1.57 in Madrid’s favour with 59% possession, underlining that this was not a dominant win but a high-variance shoot-out decided by elite finishing. SI

---

Tactical Essentials

Match: Olympiacos 3–4 Real Madrid – UEFA Champions League 2025-26, league phase, Matchday 5 ESPN.com+1

Date & Time: 26 November 2025, 21:00 CET (20:00 UTC)

Venue: Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus – attendance 32,325 ESPN.com

Referee: Michael Oliver (England) ESPN.com

Lineups & Shapes

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1):
Lunin; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Á. Carreras, Mendy; Tchouaméni, Camavinga; Valverde, Arda Güler, Vinícius Jr; Mbappé. Real Madrid CF | Web Oficial+1

Olympiacos (4-2-3-1):
Tzolakis; Rodinei, Retsos, Pirola, Ortega; Mouzakitis, Dani García; Gelson Martins, Chiquinho, Podence; El Kaabi. SI+1

Key Subs (Madrid):
Ceballos for Camavinga 46′, Bellingham for Güler 61′, Brahim Díaz for Asencio 73′, Fran García for Vinícius 90′. SI+1

Goals: ESPN.com+1

• 1–0 Chiquinho (El Kaabi) 8′
• 1–1 Mbappé (Vinícius) 22′
• 1–2 Mbappé (Güler) 24′
• 1–3 Mbappé (Camavinga) 29′
• 2–3 Taremi (Hezze) 52′
• 2–4 Mbappé (Vinícius) 59′
• 3–4 El Kaabi (Strefezza) 81′

Cards: Ortega 40′ YC, Camavinga 23′ YC, Güler 56′ YC. Sofascore

Key Stats (FT): Olympiacos 41% – 59% Real Madrid possession; xG 1.57–1.65; shots 18–15; shots on target 8–7; corners 3–5. SI

---

This Olympiacos vs Real Madrid analysis shows how Mbappé’s four goals masked the structural problems in Alonso’s aggressive 4-2-3-1.

Analysis & Tactics — Deep Dive

Shapes & Roles

Alonso’s 4-2-3-1 was exactly what we expected from his pre-match planning: Trent as an aggressive right-back, Mendy returning on the left, Tchouaméni and Camavinga as a strong double pivot, Güler as the free 10 and Mbappé spearheading an attack tilted to the left around Vinícius. Real Madrid CF | Web Oficial+1

In possession it looked closer to a 4-3-3:

• Camavinga often stepped higher to support Güler, creating a left-leaning midfield three.
• Valverde held width on the right but was underused, essentially functioning as a “balance” winger to keep the back four honest. SI
• Güler played high between the lines, often in the right half-space, linking to Mbappé’s inside-left runs.

Olympiacos also lined up in a textbook 4-2-3-1, but their attacking responsibility ran through Podence, Martins and Chiquinho underneath El Kaabi. Their plan was simple: drag Madrid’s double pivot to one side, then attack the weak-side channel where the improvised Asencio–Carreras pairing could be exposed. SI+1

Build-up & Pressing

Early on, Madrid’s build-up was too casual for such a hostile away ground. Lunin looked short to the centre-backs and Tchouaméni, but the spacing between lines was loose. That allowed Olympiacos to press with El Kaabi and Chiquinho, while Dani García and Mouzakitis jumped onto Camavinga and Tchouaméni.

The 8th-minute opener came from this looseness: Madrid’s midfield line was bypassed, Asencio stepped out too late, and the Podence–El Kaabi–Chiquinho triangle carved through the right half-space before Chiquinho finished from the edge. ESPN.com+1

Alonso didn’t change the shape, but Madrid raised the tempo of their first pass. Tchouaméni began dropping between Asencio and Carreras to create a temporary back three, with Trent higher and narrower. That gave clearer short options and freed Mendy to push early on the left, helping Vinícius pin Rodinei back.

Out of possession, Madrid kept their 4-2-3-1 but with a 4-4-2 pressing shell at times:

• Güler stepped alongside Mbappé to press the centre-backs.
• Vinícius and Valverde dropped into a flat midfield line.
• The pivot tried to screen direct passes into El Kaabi.

The problem was that with Trent advanced, space behind him remained tempting for Olympiacos, especially when Martins drifted inside and Rodinei overlapped.

Progression & Creation

Once Real Madrid found their rhythm, the game became all about left-side overloads and direct runs behind.

1. Vini–Mbappé depth runs
   • For 1–1, Vinícius drifted inside and launched a perfectly weighted ball over the top for Mbappé’s diagonal run between Retsos and Pirola. One touch set, one touch finish. ESPN.com+1
   • This pattern – Vini coming inside as a pseudo-10, Mbappé attacking the left channel – repeatedly disorganised Olympiacos’ back four.
2. Cross and box occupation
   • 1–2 showed a different route: Güler pulled wide right and delivered a classic No.10 cross to Mbappé, who attacked the six-yard box between centre-backs for his first headed goal in a Madrid shirt. The structure here was key: Valverde stayed deeper, so Güler could roam into wider zones without leaving the midfield empty. SI+1
3. Half-space combinations
   • For 1–3, Camavinga stepped up from the pivot into the left half-space, threading a through ball for Mbappé, who bent his run just onside. The double-pivot became a staggered six-and-eight, making it harder for Olympiacos to decide who to track. SI+1

In open play Madrid essentially ignored the right wing; Valverde’s job was to stretch horizontally and provide rest-defence cover rather than be the main route to goal. That imbalance worked while Camavinga was there to shuffle across; once he departed, the structure frayed badly.

Olympiacos’ progression relied on:

• quick vertical combinations between Podence and Chiquinho,
• early diagonal balls to Rodinei and Martins vs Mendy, and
• crosses towards El Kaabi, who consistently tested Asencio’s positioning. ESPN.com+1

Transitions & Rest-Defense

This is where the game nearly slipped away from Madrid.

With Camavinga on the pitch, Madrid’s rest-defence often looked like a 2-3 structure:

• Asencio and Carreras as the last line,
• Tchouaméni central in front,
• Trent narrower on the right, Mendy a little deeper on the left.

Camavinga’s mobility allowed him to plug gaps, especially when Vinícius or Güler lost the ball high. That’s why the first Olympiacos goal felt more about initial passivity than system failure.

After the break, with Ceballos replacing an ill Camavinga, Madrid lost that defensive engine. Tchouaméni suddenly had to cover more width, Ceballos tended to step into higher pockets, and the full-backs had less protection. SI+1

The 2–3 goal is a perfect illustration:

• Martins isolated Mendy and beat him 1v1 on the right.
• Ceballos was late tracking the runner.
• Trent, defending the back post, lost Taremi who headed in. SI+1

Later, with Brahim on for Asencio and Bellingham on for Güler, Madrid almost switched to a 4-3-3 in transition, but the centre-backs were now Carreras and Tchouaméni, and the distances between units grew. El Kaabi’s late header for 3–4 again exploited the spaces between full-backs and centre-backs when Madrid failed to clear second balls. Sofascore+1

Adjustments & Managerial Tweaks

Alonso’s key in-game decisions:

• Halftime: Ceballos for Camavinga – forced by illness, it weakened pressing and ball-winning. Madrid gained some short-passing control but lost a ton of defensive coverage. SI+1
• 61′: Bellingham for Güler – more vertical threat from midfield but also more dribbling risk; Bellingham often pushed into the box, leaving Tchouaméni alone ahead of the centre-backs.
• 73′: Brahim for Asencio – effectively moved Tchouaméni into defence late on. This added calm on the ball but removed aerial presence against a side that was now firing crosses at El Kaabi and Taremi.

José Luis Mendilibar’s adjustments for Olympiacos were sharper structurally:

• Taremi on for Chiquinho as early as 28′, then Hezze at half-time and Strefezza on the hour turned them into a double-striker plus crossing machine, especially down Madrid’s right. Sofascore+1

The final phase resembled a basketball game: Madrid looked dangerous every time Vinícius and Mbappé broke, but had very little control once possession was lost.

Set-Plays

Given Madrid’s shortage of natural centre-backs, set-plays were always going to be nervy. They defended most corners zonally with Tchouaméni and Asencio central, Mbappé and Valverde on the posts or edge.

Olympiacos rarely threatened directly from corners but used second-phase crosses cleverly, especially after Madrid’s initial clearances. Taremi’s goal, while technically from open play, came after sustained pressure and recycled width on the right.

Offensively, Madrid leaned on Trent’s delivery and Güler’s left foot, but the big headline acts (Mbappé’s goals) all came from open play combinations rather than dead balls. SI+1

Standout Individuals

• Kylian Mbappé – Four goals, including a seven-minute hat-trick, mixing depth runs, aerial threat and half-space finishing. FotMob-based ratings give him 9.9; this was a Ballon d’Or-level rescue job. SI+1
• Vinícius Jr – Two assists, constant 1v1 wins vs Rodinei, and a disallowed goal. His gravity created the conditions for Mbappé’s explosion and repeatedly bailed Madrid out of pressure. SI+1
• Eduardo Camavinga – Dominant first half: assist for the third goal, seven of eight duels won, constant counter-pressing. His exit changed the game’s defensive tone. SI
• Aurélien Tchouaméni – Quietly excellent on and off the ball, screening the back four and nearly scoring himself. Held the structure together whenever others lost shape. SI+1
• Ayoub El Kaabi & Mehdi Taremi (Olympiacos) – Constantly punished Madrid’s weak aerial zones, combining for two headed goals and almost forcing a dramatic late equaliser. ESPN.com+1

What It Means

From a tactical standpoint, Olympiacos vs Real Madrid analysis tells a clear story:

• Alonso is committed to an aggressive, front-loaded system built around Vinícius and Mbappé, even when his defence is patched together.
• That commitment can produce unstoppable attacking spells, but also long periods of instability once the first pressing layer is broken.
• The team still hasn’t found a stable solution for protecting the makeshift centre-backs when one of Camavinga or Tchouaméni isn’t on the pitch.

After the game, Mbappé and Camavinga publicly stressed that the squad must “protect” and “help” Alonso, insisting the group is united despite external noise. ESPN.com

From here, the key tactical questions are:

• Can Alonso create a more conservative game state when Madrid lead, perhaps via a back three or a true 4-3-3 with Bellingham as an 8 rather than a second striker?
• Or will Madrid continue to live on the edge, trusting their firepower to outscore opponents until the injured centre-backs return?

For one night in Piraeus, at least, Mbappé made the gamble look genius.

Ultimately, this Olympiacos vs Real Madrid analysis underlines that Alonso’s current Real Madrid lives on a knife edge – devastating going forward, fragile when defending deep.

For any Olympiacos vs Real Madrid analysis, the main takeaway is how Madrid’s left side with Vinícius and Mbappé decided the game despite the team’s defensive instability.

In the end, our Olympiacos vs Real Madrid analysis suggests that Real Madrid will need better control of transitions if they want to turn spectacular wins into sustainable Champions League performances.

FAQs

References

[1] ESPN – Olympiacos 3–4 Real Madrid match report and commentary. ESPN.com
[2] Sports Illustrated – “Real Madrid Player Ratings vs Olympiacos: Mbappe Resurrects Struggling Attack”. SI
[3] Real Madrid official site – starting lineup vs Olympiacos (26/11/2025). Real Madrid CF | Web Oficial
[4] Sofascore – Olympiacos vs Real Madrid live score, goals and substitutions. Sofascore
[5] Soccer365 – Olympiakos vs Real Madrid lineups and match data. Soccer365
[6] ESPN – “Kylian Mbappé: We need to ‘protect’ Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso”. ESPN.com