Champions League

Olympiakos had to wait 50 minutes on Tuesday to break the deadlock with Viktoria Plzen, but then cruised through to the third qualifying round of the Champions League as it won 4-0 at home after the goalless draw away a week earlier.

Olympiakos snatched a goalless draw at Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday in the first leg of the second qualifying round of the Champions League.

In its first competitive game of the season the Piraeus giant played a decent enough game in the Czech Republic, despite the number of absentees it had for various reasons, and secured a positive result ahead of the second leg in Piraeus next week.

Besides PAOK meeting Champions League semifinalist Ajax in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, the draw in Nyon on Monday placed Olympiakos against Turkish champion Basaksehir.

The Reds will face the Istanbul club on August 6/7 and 13/14 only in case they successfully negotiate the second qualifying round with Czech team Viktoria Plzen, starting on Tuesday away.

Ajax will start its Champions League campaign against unbeaten Greek league winner PAOK Thessaloniki in the third qualifying round drawn Monday.
Last season, four-time European champion Ajax reached the semifinals in May having entered the competition in the second preliminary round in July.

Olympiakos captain and Greece's midfield linchpin Costas Fortounis has suffered a serious knee injury that rules him out of action for an estimated six months. He will be operated next weekend.

The influential midfielder suffered a rupture on his cruciate ligament and is going to undergo an operation on July 20. He is expected to return to action for Olympiakos after Christmas.

Ludogorets starts the Champions League this year with visit to Ferencvaros. The Bulgarian champion is visiting Budapest in the first match of the first qualifying round and will hope for a good result that will give them the appropriate starting points before the rematch.

Prior to the match coach Stoicho Stoev expressed his confidence that his team was completely ready.

Greece center back Costas Manolas has transferred from Roma to Napoli in a deal worth 36 million euros that should boost the southern club's Serie A title credentials.

Roma announced the transfer on Sunday.

The 28-year-old Manolas joins Kalidou Koulibaly in what could become one of the top center back pairings in the Italian league.

PAOK is looking for a new manager after the unexpected departure of Razvan Lucescu on Friday, with Abel Ferreira being the likely successor according to reports.

Olympiakos has avoided PSV Eindhoven and will face Viktoria Plzen of the Czech Republic in the second qualifying round of the Champions League, according to the draw conducted at Nyon on Wednesday.

Olympiakos conceded its European title to Hungary's Ferencvaros on Saturday, losing at the shootout in the final of the LEN Champions League in Hannover, Germany.