In Piraeus, where Olympiacos are balancing domestic authority with a crowded attacking picture, Armando “Hormiga” González was again asked to make an impact from the bench in the 2-0 Super League win over Panetolikos. The Mexican forward played a little more than 10 minutes in the seventh-round fixture, another brief league appearance during a run in which his place in the side has become less prominent.
Yet Imanol Alguacil found encouragement in the contribution of González and the other replacements. The Olympiacos coach said the players who had featured less regularly gave “a very good response,” highlighting the value of a squad that allowed him to make seven substitutions during the match.
“Everyone’s response has been excellent,” Alguacil said, explaining that such depth makes those changes easier to make. He was less satisfied with the second half, however, admitting Olympiacos lost some of their earlier intensity and allowed Panetolikos to create a couple of dangerous moments.
A wait for a league breakthrough
González has now gone six league matches without opening his scoring account in Greece. That sequence does not reflect his output across all competitions since arriving in Europe: including cup ties and European matches, he has registered four goals and two assists.
His league scoring rate nevertheless compares favourably with other Olympiacos forwards in the current sample. González is listed at 0.57 goals per match, while Roman Yaremchuk has one goal over the same number of appearances for a 0.14 average. Ayoub El Kaabi has scored once in three games, producing a rate of 0.33.
For González, the figures offer some support as he waits for a longer opening in the league. For Olympiacos, the victory over Panetolikos brought three points, while Alguacil’s remarks made clear that the substitutes had strengthened their case in a demanding period of the season.
