Rodinei To Return To Right Back In 2nd Leg UCL Qualifier
- Thrylos 7 Intl Team
- 23 hours ago
- 3 min read
Olympiacos’ tactical response to the 0–0 draw with NEC is beginning to take shape. The most interesting adjustment may be one Mendilibar had spent months moving away from.
Rodinei is being prepared to play right-back again.
SPORT24 reports that, in Friday’s first full training session following the opening Champions League qualifier, Mendilibar used Rodinei in his traditional defensive position throughout the program. The pattern has continued strongly enough for the report to describe him as being prepared for the starting XI in Nijmegen.
This is more significant than a routine personnel change. It potentially changes how Olympiacos attack.
Why Mendilibar had moved Rodinei forward
Rodinei became increasingly influential as a winger during last season’s playoffs.
The logic was clear.
Moving him higher allowed Olympiacos to use his best qualities more often:
aggressive forward running;
combination play;
crossing;
arrival around the penalty area;
and direct attacking energy.
It also reduced how frequently he had to defend large spaces behind him. Mendilibar’s summer request for two right-backs reflected that thinking after Costinha’s departure. SPORT24 explicitly notes that the coach regarded Rodinei as capable of offering more in the attacking line.
Now circumstances appear to be pulling him backward again.
NEC exposed the need for greater initiative from full-back
The first leg was not lost defensively. It was drawn because Olympiacos struggled to create enough sustained attacking pressure. That makes Rodinei at right-back potentially attractive. Rather than using a more conservative defender behind a winger, Mendilibar can effectively create an additional attacker from the defensive line.
When Olympiacos dominate possession, Rodinei can:
overlap;
underlap;
deliver early crosses;
combine with the right winger;
and force NEC’s left side deeper.
That could help prevent the Dutch side from defending in comfortable, predictable lines. The risk is equally obvious. Every aggressive Rodinei run creates space behind him. And NEC showed in Piraeus that they are capable of attacking the space left after Olympiacos’ initial pressure is broken.
That is where Hezze’s return becomes especially important.
Hezze and Rodinei are tactically connected
Hezze’s improving availability is not simply a separate injury story. It may make Rodinei at full-back far more viable. A midfielder such as Hezze can slide toward the right side after possession losses, protect the space Rodinei vacates and help stop counters before they become direct runs at the centre-backs.
Without that coverage, the idea becomes much riskier.
With it, Olympiacos can attack more aggressively while preserving some transitional protection.
That is why the two selection decisions should be viewed together.
Retsos gives Mendilibar another layer of security
The other important development is Retsos. SPORT24 reports that the Olympiacos captain is training normally and is completely available for the second leg. His presence is especially useful if Rodinei pushes high.
Retsos is accustomed to defending large spaces and stepping forward aggressively when Olympiacos press.
The unresolved question is who partners him. Mendilibar is reportedly still deciding between David Carmo and Lorenzo Pirola, with both having given him reasons for consideration.
That decision will affect the entire defensive balance. Carmo brings size, aerial presence and passing range.
Pirola offers mobility and a potentially quicker recovery profile. Against NEC’s transition threat, the tradeoff matters.
Olympiacos may attack with something closer to a 3-2 rest-defense shape
If Rodinei starts and advances aggressively, Olympiacos will need clear protection behind the ball.
One possible structure is for the opposite full-back to remain slightly deeper while Hezze positions himself alongside the remaining midfielder. That effectively creates a temporary rest-defense platform behind the attacking group. The objective is simple: allow Rodinei freedom without leaving the centre-backs isolated.
Mendilibar’s football is naturally aggressive, but aggressive football still needs insurance. The first leg occasionally lacked it.
The selection also says something about the transfer market
There is a broader implication. The club is reportedly considering right-back among the positions it may still strengthen. If Mendilibar is reverting to Rodinei for the most important game of the young season, that suggests the current alternatives have not completely settled the position.
That does not automatically mean Olympiacos will sign another right-back. But it reinforces why that position appeared in the latest five-signing recruitment report. Rodinei can solve the immediate problem.
The club may still decide it wants a more permanent structural solution.
This is an aggressive choice
The safe option would be to change as little as possible after a clean sheet. Mendilibar appears to be considering the opposite. Rodinei at right-back increases the attacking ceiling.
Hezze in midfield increases pressure and transition resistance. Retsos’ return restores leadership in the defensive line. Those changes collectively suggest Olympiacos are not preparing merely to survive in Nijmegen.
They are preparing to impose themselves more aggressively than they did in Piraeus.
That approach carries risk. But after a goalless first leg, conservatism carries its own danger.
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