JUAN SAMUEL SANTANA CHAVEZ
Chepe Zazueta
The "Ant" González Returns to the Starting Lineup with Olympiacos in the Europa League
Armando “Hormiga” González reappeared in the Olympiacos starting XI during the 0-0 draw against Stade Rennes, in a match corresponding to the fourth round of the UEFA Europa League 2026-2027. The game took place this Wednesday, November 4, at Roazhon Park in France, where the Mexican forward once again received the trust of coach Imanol Alguacil and remained on the field for 59 minutes before being substituted by the Ukrainian Roman Yaremchuk.
The start represented an important return for the Chivas academy product, who had not started a match for approximately 10 days, since his appearance against Kalamata in the Greek Cup on October 25. Furthermore, the attacker was going through complicated weeks with the Hellenic club, as he had two consecutive matches without activity: he was left out of the squad to face GS Marko and subsequently remained on the bench for the entire match against Kifisia. This situation highlighted the loss of prominence he has experienced since Alguacil's arrival on the bench.
Despite the irregularity in his opportunities within Greek football, González has responded in the European competition, where he has registered two goals in three previous appearances, including the strike that gave Olympiacos victory against Sparta Prague. With the draw against Rennes, the Greek team reached 10 points, the result of three wins and one draw, maintaining their undefeated status in the Europa League. For “Hormiga,” this appearance represents an opportunity to regain ground in the internal competition for a starting spot and establish himself in European football.
