UCL: Ten-Man Pafos Earns Point Against Olympiacos in Champions League

Olympiacos fails to break down Pafos defense in goalless draw

Pafos FC earns a 0-0 draw against Olympiacos in their Champions League opener despite being reduced to 10 men in the first half.

Pafos FC's chances of a historic win were severely hampered when Bruno Felipe was sent off in the 26th minute...

Pafos earned a respectable 0-0 draw against Olympiacos in their Champions League opener, despite being reduced to 10 men in the first half. The Cypriot side, formed just 11 years ago, came close to scoring in the early minutes. In the 3rd minute, Vlad Dragomir charged down Alexandros Paschalakis' clearance, but the ball narrowly sailed wide.

Pafos continued to threaten Olympiacos' goal, with Jaja testing Paschalakis in the 10th minute. Jaja, who scored against FK Crvena Zvezda to send Pafos into the Champions League league phase, unleashed a powerful shot that Paschalakis comfortably saved. Despite being outnumbered after going down to 10 men, Pafos held firm to earn a point in their UCL debut.

Pafos FC's chances of a historic win were severely hampered when Bruno Felipe was sent off in the 26th minute. The Brazilian midfielder had already received a yellow card in the 15th minute, and a reckless tackle on Lorenzo Pirola earned him a second booking, leaving Pafos to play with 10 men.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Pafos adjusted their tactics, with manager Juan Carlos Carcedo introducing Mislav Orsic in place of Landry Dimata in an attempt to break the deadlock. However, the Greek champions were unable to capitalize on their man advantage and create a clear-cut scoring opportunity before halftime.

Olympiacos manager Jose Luis Mendilibar made strategic changes during halftime, introducing summer signing Mehdi Taremi and 18-year-old midfielder Christos Mouzakitis. Despite these changes, Pafos FC's defense held strong, and the first chance of the second half fell to Ayoub El Kaabi, who unfortunately headed the ball wide under pressure.

The 2023/24 UEFA Conference League winners continued to push forward, creating scoring opportunities. They threatened Pafos FC's goal twice in quick succession shortly after the hour mark, but the Cypriot team's defense managed to keep them at bay.

Pafos draw on competition debut 👏#UCL pic.twitter.com/AGj8saRVBZ

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 17, 2025

First, Panagiotis Retsos stung Neofytos Michael’s palms from outside the area, before Olympiacos’ captain saw his header brilliantly saved on the goalline.

Ultimately, Olympiacos’ return to the UCL, with this their first involvement since 2020/21, ended in frustration despite playing the majority of the match with a numerical advantage.

Meanwhile, Pafos return home in high spirits, but face the mammoth task of trying to overcome six-time UCL winners Bayern Munich in their next European fixture at the end of the month.