Berlin, February 25 – Leverkusen progressed to the Champions League round of 16 after a goalless draw against Olympiacos, comfortably maintaining their advantage from the first leg at home.
The German side entered the return match with a two-goal lead thanks to Patrik Schick's earlier brace, allowing coach Kasper Hjulmand to prioritize controlling the game over an aggressive attack.
Leverkusen dominated the opening minutes and created the first clear chances, but their finishing lacked precision, according to Xinhua.
Schick was involved twice early on, first narrowly missing a header and then failing to cleanly lift the ball over goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis. Jonas Hofmann had already tested the Greek keeper from a tight angle, but the hosts gradually eased off the pace as they focused on managing the game.
Olympiacos struggled to generate intensity despite brief periods of pressure. Their best opportunity came shortly after the restart when Gelson Martins forced Janis Blaswich into a sharp save from a narrow angle. Leverkusen responded calmly and almost scored themselves.
A quick exchange between Ernest Poku and Alejandro Grimaldo created space in the 62nd minute, but the Spaniard's effort rattled the crossbar instead of sealing the victory. From there, the match faded into a low-key finish, with the visitors unable to break through Leverkusen's well-organized defense.
Schick almost added a late winner deep into stoppage time, but his attempted chip went wide. However, the draw comfortably sent Leverkusen into the last 16, where they will face either Bayern Munich or Arsenal. Olympiacos, on the other hand, were eliminated from the competition.
"The only positive thing we can take is that we have progressed. We were far too slow and didn't play the way we wanted, so we can be grateful that we have reached the next round," said Leverkusen captain Robert Andrich.