Charalampos Kostoulas was confident, direct and expressive when he gave his first interview at the Albion training ground.
And that is how he plays, too, going on his goal involvements
We looked at his seven senior goals for Olympiacos, all last season, plus an assist in European competition.
The goals were all scored with either his right foot or head and one thing stands out – they tended to be finished with power.
Kostoulas does not stand on ceremony, although there was one where he took just a touch longer than might have been expected before finishing.
Confident Kostoulas makes good first impression as he talks about dream move
Hurzeler excited by Greek teen ace as Albion confirm Kostoulas deal
Special moments were his first senior goal, at PAOK, and the late header against arch rivals Panathinaikos to secure a win.
There was also a double to see off an Aris side who had former Albion defender Martin Montoya sent off at 1-1.
This is how Kostoulas recorded his seven senior goals and one assist for the popular Piraeus club.
Nov 7: PAOK away - header.
With the score 0-0, Kostoulas drifted into a great position between the uprights and did well to stay onside with defenders pushing out. Chiquinho flighted in a cross and he sent a header with some power and great placement to find the gap inside the post. Olympiacos went on to win 3-2.
Dec 7: Volos away – right foot blast.
Again, he just about kept himself onside. The finish saw him twist on to his right foot and then thrash home a shot past the goalkeeper, who did not have far to move but was maybe caught by surprise.
Dec 16: Athens Kalithea away – right foot blast.
Amid defensive mayhem, Kostoulas got possession to the right of goal and crashed a very powerful shot through the covering defenders from quite a wide angle. Again, it was a chance taken with confidence.
Jan 11: Aris home – right foot shot and header.
With his side a goal down at the break, he made and finished the equaliser on his own early in the second half. First by winning the ball about 15 yards into the opposition half, out to the right when Aris seemed to have controlled possession. He then beat a defender, made tracks into the penalty area, steadied himself and unleased a right-foot shot low across the keeper.
The winner came deep in added time when he pulled away at the back post, losing any marking. The cross picked him out and he bounced a downward header inside the near post from six yards out. The perfect placement of the finish meant the ball kissed the upright as it found the net.
Jan 30: Qarabag home (assist) – header.
An important assist in the Europa League. After Olympiacos had won an initial header in a busy penalty area, Kostoulas rose high to nod the ball goalwards, from where it was turned home by Ayoub El-Kaabi for the first goal in a 3-0 win.
Feb 23: PAOK home – right foot.
Although this came in the 31st minute, it was the winner in a 2-1 success. First of all, there was some good movement to get him in behind the defence. Found in the penalty area, to the right of goal, by Gelson Martins’s clever pass, he took his time, seemingly a touch too long, but knew what he was doing as he then sent a low right-foot shot across the goalkeeper from quite close in.
March 30: Panathinaikos home – header.
This one came after he had been sent on for the last 25 minutes plus added time in one of the most heated fixtures in Greece.
With Pana back at 3-2 and tensions running high in the last ten minutes, he brought the house down. A free-kick was whipped in towards the near post by Rodinei and Kostoulas got in front of his marker to thump an unstoppable header into the top corner.
As a footnote, deep in added time of the 4-2 win, it was Kostoulas's run which forced Pana skipper Fotis Ioannidis to bring him down and earn a red card. With a resigned look, Ioannidis went across to shake Kostoulas’s hand before leaving the field.
Share