Olympiakos went through a thousand waves but eventually qualified for the semi-finals of the Greek Cup, beating Panetolikos 3-1 in Karaiskakis. In the 85th minute Karelis scored 1:1 for Agrinio, combined with the 2:1 of the first game they held the qualification for the “4” of the institution and a big surprise was near.

But like a machine god, George Masouras showed up and pulled the chestnuts out of the fire. At 90+2′ Ronnie Lopez crossed from the left. The 28-year-old winger controlled the ball with his chest and sent the ball into the net and into overtime with a nice running shot.

Olympiakos had the initiative for the rest of the half hour, but the minutes before penalties were dangerous. In… Russian roulette everything is open-ended, a very stressful and dangerous process. But Masouras dressed like a hero again and didn’t let his team go down such strange paths. He blocked the ball in midfield, used a pass from Ronnie Lopez, shot out of the shot and scored to make it 3-1. Qualifying redemption from the foot of George Masouras.

If Masouras scores, Olympiakos doesn’t lose

George Masouras is the definition of a winner. It proves a terrible statistic that it maintains and carefully expands. The 28-year-old has scored 40 goals in his 148 appearances for Olympiacos.

He has scored those 40 goals in 32 games with the Red and Whites, who are only victorious. The lesson? If Masouras scores, Olympiakos wins. On January 30, 2019, he had scored his first goal with the Red-Whites, opening the 4–0 win over AEL for the Championship.

More big goals followed with the Piraeus team’s jersey. His header in the 1-0 away win against Basaksehir for the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League on August 7, 2019 will not be forgotten. Nor will his goal in the first leg against Eindhoven, with which Olympiakos scored the 4-2. last year in the Europa League. It was the goal that gave him the air in the Netherlands rematch.

Many more goals within the borders are also important. Like when he opened the scoring against PAOK in the 2020 rematch of the Greek Cup semifinals as the Reds and Whites qualified.

The decisive goals and the epic in Istanbul

Masouras is doing what he’s good at this year. That means being present for your team and helping them achieve their goals. It appeared from the first moment and at the beginning of the season. In Baku’s second leg against Neftsi, he was the one who scored in the 15th minute and ‘locked out’ qualification for the red-whites in the continuation of the Champions League qualifier.

In Super League Interwetten, he scored Olympiacos’ second goal in the derby against PAOK that ended 2-1, he scored the winning goal against Ionikos in Karaiskakis in the 17th minute while in the game with PAS Giannina in Karaiskakis he used the error in Epiroton’s defence, the goal paved the way for Olympiacos’ first win of 2022. A few days before the cup return, he made his signature wide in the away game at Ionikos. He made a substitution in 43′, winning a penalty in 55′ while scoring the final 0-3 in 58′. At the same time, his entry into the field changed his team’s image.

The highlight of the season is of course the epic of Istanbul. He was the player who starred in the 3-0 win against Fenerbahce in Sukru Saratsoglou. He assisted Tikinios in the 3rd minute and scored twice with a right hand in the 62nd and 68th minutes. A great night in the Europa League that had this hero.

Masouras is on course to break his personal goal record. He has two left to repeat the goals he scored in 2019/2020 and five to match his performance last year. Anything is possible with five games left in the regular season, another ten games in the playoffs and at least four games in total in the Europa League and Greek Cup.

Masoura’s goals at Olympiakos per season

• 21 / 22-10 goals
• 20 / 21-15 goals
• 19 / 20-11 goals
• 18 / 19-4 goals

Stairs – step to glory

From a small village in mountainous Etoloakarnania, Kehrinia, Masouras has risen to fame with two championships and a cup. A collection that wants to enrich. Everything he has achieved and will achieve in the future, he has achieved with hard work and dedication.

Devotion to what he loves from a young age, football. What he has achieved, he has done step by step. He was 18 years old when he played with Elysiakos in the fourth national team. Two years later he got… a promotion to Panionios. There was no lack of hard work on the pitch. From 2014 to the winter of 2019, he stayed in history, “filling” his resume and gaining experience. Result; He scored 24 goals in 152 appearances and has been able to rise to the level Olympiakos made him his own for around half a million.

Pedro Martins trusts him almost immediately and makes him a key player. Masouras has made him pale all these years as he takes care to work hard and improve. Nothing was given to him for free, he achieved everything with his hard work and sweat. Finally… Goods are hard to come by.

Its “weapons” beyond work, humility, and the notion that we transcend ego. Proof, his statements this year. Every time he finds nets lately, the question pops up more frequently in Flash interviews. “If you score Olympiakos will win, what do you think of that?” His answer is almost always in the same spirit: “I definitely don’t think so. I always try to score to help and achieve our goals – It’s not always what is asked of a player, we have to fight for 100%. We all need it for the team“.

He has shown his humility other times in his statements when he was even asked if he was the best Greek player: “I can not say. There are many footballers with different characteristics. “I’m lucky to be on this team that gives me the opportunity to work in a high-level institution, so all I do is keep working.”

So, over the years, George Masouras has become one of the soldiers of Olympiacos. He is one of the hard workers of the team who will always be present. Even in difficult times he will get in touch. He did it with Panetolikos, he did it so many times during his tenure with the Red and Whites. What is Massoura’s Blanket? The future will show. The only thing that is certain is that the word winner has written itself into his DNA through all of this.