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Vassilis Torosidis headed home a second-half winner for Olympiacos who got their Champions League campaign off to a great start with a 1-0 victory at home to AZ Alkmaar.

The game had looked destined for a draw with neither side looking likely to break the deadlock.

But with 12 minutes remaining Torosidis rose unmarked in the visitors' box to head home a cross from Jaouad Zairi from six yards.

Olympiacos came into the game having parted with manager Temuri Ketsbaia during the week and the hosts looked every inch a club in turmoil as they began the encounter in sluggish fashion.

Neither side looked capable of keeping possession for any length of time but the visitors at least showed flashes of a cutting edge in what was a drab first half.

Moussa Dembele was the pick of AZ's attacking talents in the opening 45 minutes and created the first real chance of the game after only seven minutes.

The AZ winger skipped down the right and whipped a dangerous ball into the Olympiacos six-yard box that Brett Holman could only scoop over the bar.

Olympiacos had glimpses of goal with Geraldo Leonardo and Luis Diogo both guilty of failing to provide a finishing touch to good crosses from Zairi, while Holman again came close to breaking the deadlock at the other end when he fired a first-time shot wide from 12 yards.

But AZ seemed to run out of steam after the break and handed the initiative back to Olympiacos.

Zairi had a great chance to open the scoring on 55 minutes when he lashed a shot over the bar from 15 yards following a good cross from Michal Zewlakow.

While at the other end, Holman almost caught goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis off-guard midway through the second half with a sharp shot from the edge of the area that the keeper could only parry.

But AZ were now firmly on the back-foot and with 12 minutes remaining they were punished for some slack marking when Torosidis climbed high to head home the winner.

New Olympiacos manager Zico was watching in the stands and will have been deligted with the result if not large parts of the performance.

Toby Davis / Eurosport