Wasteful Burnley’s adventure ends

Burnley’s European adventure is over – five weeks and 600 minutes after it began. It was not for a lack of effort against Olympiakos but it was apparent from early on that this was not going to be their night.

Sean Dyche and his players did not look like men happy to be out of the Europa League but if there is a silver lining it is the knowledge that their Premier League form may benefit. How much Burnley have left in the tank against Manchester United on Sunday will be the question concerning Dyche now.

The Thursday-sunday conundrum is challenging enough for clubs with big squads but if Burnley manage to play this well against an ailing United then they should make life difficult for an embattled Jose Mourinho.

Burnley have not won in 90 minutes in nine games this term and if they are to claim a huge scalp this weekend, they will have to be far better in front of goal.

There was an inevitability about Daniel Podence putting Olympiakos ahead with a goal that killed the tie before substitute Matej Vydra, making his debut, equalised.

“It was an excellent performance from start to finish,” Dyche said. “The biggest bug bear is you’ve got to take your chances and we haven’t. That was the only blot but otherwise we were back to our identity. I think the whole club will learn from this experience.”

Few were more culpable than Sam Vokes, who missed two headers from close range and also rattled the woodwork. The exasperation was shared, though. Ashley Barnes side-footed wide after being teed up by Vokes and only a wonderful save from Andreas Gianniotis denied Dwight Mcneil a first professional goal.

If anyone in the Burnley ranks deserved more, it was the former Manchester United trainee, impressing on his first start. Both of Vokes’s headed chances were fashioned by Mcneil. “He was fantastic,” Dyche said. “He and his family should be very proud.”

Olympiakos offered the occasional threat on the break but it was one-way traffic until the Greeks pounced on a mistake by Jack Cork seven minutes from time and Ahmed Hassan and Kostas Fortounis combined to work the ball to Podence, who cut inside Kevin Long to score. Vydra’s equaliser was too little, too late.

Burnley Olympiakos Referee

Booked

Subs