By: Georgios Kioussis

A sumptuous Giorgos Karagounis strike three minutes from time lifted Panathinaikos over PAOK on Matchday 1 of the Greek Super League Playoffs, Sunday evening at Toumba Stadium. As the match seemed destined for a goalless draw, the midfield maestro capped off his side’s otherwise docile performance with a determined piece of running and a neat chip over PAOK keeper Kostas Chalkias.

Until then, the proceedings were decidedly yellow and red, referee Anastasios Kakos issuing nine cautions and one sending off, when Pablo Garcia kicked at and elbowed Simao on the stroke of halftime.

Prior to being reduced to ten men, the outfit from Thessaloniki looked far more committed than their Athens-based rivals. Fernando Santos’ men bossed the midfield with relative ease, their opponents struggling to establish tempo or possession. Indeed, all Pana had to show in the early going was a Loukas Vyntra header inside ten minutes, which looped harmlessly over Chalkias’ crossbar.

For all their midfield dominance, the Double-Headed Eagle of the North, deficient of the necessary guile in the final third, failed to make it count. A Vieirinha strike from the edge of the penalty area at the half hour mark was one of the few chances fashioned, but the Portuguese winger lacked the composure to keep his effort down.

Ironically, the best opportunity of the first half fell to the visitors two minutes before the break, Ante Rukavina racing free behind a static PAOK defense. The Croatian forward did well to round Chalkias, but skewed his effort into the side netting despite looking at an open goal.

From there, tempers would flare, Pablo Garcia ultimately seeing red following his off-the-ball incident with Simao. The Uruguayan midfielder, infamous for punching Olympiakos’ Diogo earlier in the season, would not leave without protest, though replays justified the referee’s decision.

Hoping to build on the numerical advantage, Pana boss Henk ten Cate introduced the attack-minded Sotiris Ninis and Cleyton at the start of the second half. But aside from a Ninis strike on 52 minutes that proved comfortable for Chalkias, the Greens seemed devoid of any sort of ambition.

Instead, the hosts continued to pour forward, Olivier Sorlin just missing the target with a curling effort on 55 minutes. Spurred on by fervent home support, the Northerners proceeded to pin their opponents deep in their own third, winning a series of corners, the most inviting of which fell to Zlatan Muslimovic 11 minutes from time. The striker glanced his close-range header toward goal, but Pana keeper Mario Galinovic was perfectly placed to produce a fine reaction save.

That set up Karagounis’ winner, which the midfielder did exceptionally well to take. After jinking past several markers, the Greek international spotted Chalkias off his line and elegantly lobbed the goalkeeper from just outside the area.

It was a goal that came very much against the run of play, but it will make little difference to Henk ten Cate’s men, who now move ahead of their opponents and into first place in the playoff standings.

PAOK FC 1-0 Panathinaikos FC
Karagounis 87′

Yellow Cards:
PAOK FC — Sznaucer 42′, Muslimovic 45′ + 1′, Veron 82′.
Panathinaikos FC — Simao 12′, Sarriegi 45′ + 1′, Vyntra 45′ + 1′, Gilberto 45′ + 1′, Ninis 56′, Karagounis 82′.

PAOK (Fernando Santos) – Chalkias, Lino, Sznaucner (89′ Bakayoko), Malezas, Contreras, Pablo Garcia, Sorlin, Conceicao, Ivic, Vieirinha (46′ Veron), Muslimovic.

Panathinaikos (Henk Ten Cate) – Galinovic, Nilsson, Vyntra, Sarriegi, Moon, Simao (46′ Cleyton), Gilberto, Karagounis, Ivanschitz (46′ Ninis), Rukavina (74′ Salpigidis), Mantzios.

Referee: Anastasios Kakos

Venue: Toumba Stadium, Thessalonki, Greece.

It was a renaissance season for PAOK, but success in the play-offs is still desired as Thessaloniki’s only representative aims to bring the UEFA Champions League back to Northern Greece next season.

A busy summer transfer period paid off for PAOK; the Thessaloniki giants shocked many en route to a second place finish behind league winners Olympiacos. Despite the achievement, much is still expected of Fernando Santos’ men – especially with the club’s most loyal supporters calling for a long awaited return to European competition, and speculatively the Champions League.

Challenging for top spot in the Super League, PAOK remained a consistent threat to the Greek crown for most of the season. With an aggressive attack, and stingy defense, PAOK challenged the grip of the traditional trio of top sides – Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, and AEK.

Now comes PAOK’s biggest test, a six round play-off against their closest rivals for a shot at qualifying for Europe’s most prestigious club competition. Although there is no silverware up for grabs, the Dikefale will feel top spot at the end of the play-offs will be a reward in itself.

No matter their placing in the play-offs, PAOK are guaranteed a return to at least the UEFA Europa League next season. With that token, one of the side’s now pushing Greece’s ‘Big Three’ to the limits will return to European competition for the first time since being banned during the 2006/2007 season – a punishment inflicted by UEFA after many debts were left unsettled by the club’s former ownership.

Form

Mar 14.  Larissa 0-0 PAOK  (Greek Super League)
Mar 22.  PAOK 2-1 Thrasyoulos (Greek Super League)
Apr 5.  Asteras Tripolis 0-2 PAOK  (Greek Super League)
Apr 12.  Skoda Xanthi 1-2 PAOK  (Greek Super League)
Apr 26.  PAOK 4-1 Panserraikos  (Greek Super League)

Team News

The PAOK camp might be a bit short on strikers after Ilias Anastasakos and Lambros Choutos both missed practice on Friday. Anastasakos is slated to resume training with the club this coming Monday, while Choutos’ fitness is indefinite.

Key Player

Zlatan Muslimovic scored seven goals in his first season in the Greek Super League to lead the team – along with two joint leaders – in scoring. His strength on and off the ball will be a key attribute if PAOK are to stay competitive; meaning the Bosnian will likely play a crucial role in PAOK’s play-off plans.

Prediction

The season will be a success for PAOK, no matter their result in the play-offs. But with a competitive climate in Thessaloniki, PAOK will be keen to seek for first place. Nonetheless, the side might not have enough experience to outlast their rivals in a bid for the top prize.

2nd Place.

Tumer Metin’s first half strike against Levadeiakos gave Larissa three crucial points as the Vyssini snapped up the last playoff spot on Sunday, two points ahead of battlers Aris FC – who also won 3-2 at home against Panthrakikos.

Nonetheless, Aris won’t be competing for European spots as they did last year. Instead, alongside Larissa, Aris’ bitter rivals PAOK are joined by Panathinaikos and AEK Athens as the other three sides rounding up the playoff contingent.

PAOK finished second in the league, eight points behind Champions Olympiacos, while Panathinaikos finished in third, a further two points behind. AEK clinched their berth in the playoffs weeks ago with their fourth place rank, but their preparations for the playoffs will likely take a back seat as an upcoming clash with Olympiacos in the Greek Cup Final awaits the Athenian outfit.

The playoffs commence on May 10^th, but each side will map out their plans for European competition as early as this Tuesday when the Super League commission completes the draw for the playoff round. No matter the order, PAOK will have the advantage – even if it is as slim as a point – as the Thessaloniki based side will start the playoff round with three points. Panathinaikos will begin with two points, AEK with one point to their name, while Larissa will start from scratch with zero points.

AEK Athens FC 3-1 Levadeiakos FC
Djebbour 2′, Blanco 39′, Edinho 81′ – Kiassos 26′

Dusan Bajevic’s AEK took a step closer to the premier playoff spots with their sixth consecutive win in the Greek Super League coming through a 3-1 triumph over Levadeiakos. While the game was not a crucial encounter in terms of any points race, the Athenians put on a clinical performance on either side of the interval to defeat Momcilo Vukotic’s Levadeiakos, and leave the visitors in a worrying state as the relegation zone closes in on the Levadeia outfit.

Panionios FC 2-3 Olympiacos CFP
Lourenco 45′, Anderson 51′ – Derbyshire 22′, Maniatis (o.g.) 62′, Dudu 72′

Alongside Panathinaikos’ falter in Tripoli, Olympiacos’ 3-2 win over Panionios in Nea Smyrni paved the way for Olympiacos to yet another Greek crown. A late goal from Dudu Cearense allowed Ernesto Valverde’s to scrape through the Athenian suburb with a slim win, while their not-so-slim advantage in the Super League standings allowed for the Piraeus giants to clinch the Greek Championship ahead of schedule.

OFI Crete FC 4-3 Panthrakikos FC
Popovic 11′, Barcauan 18′, Sfakianakis  60′, 82′ – Kanotidis 6′, Riera 15′, Konstantinidis 65′

A dramatic 4-3 win for OFI over Panthrakikos at the Pankritio Stadium in Heraklion allows the Cretans to continue their fight to stay alive in the Super League – even if safety is a whole six points away. Giving a valiant effort in front of their home crowd, OFI showed plenty of heart by coming out the top dog after a seven-goal thriller. Nonetheless, Emilio Ferrera’s side will likely be disappointed in the final result after squandering two early leads to take zero points back to Komotini.

Panserraikos FC 1-2 Aris FC
Georgiadis 2′ – Campora 60′, Regueiro 78′

A match featuring desperation for diverse reasons saw Aris claim a much needed three points with a 2-1 win over Panserraikos in Serres. Trailing Larissa in the push for a playoff spot, the match was a must-win for Aris if the Thessaloniki-based club was to keep pace with Larissa after the ‘Vyssini’s’ triumph at Kaftanzogleio.

PAOK FC 2-1 Thrasyvoulos Fylis FC
Liapakis (o.g.) 46′, Bakayoko 90′ – Martorell 36′

Losing ground in the battle in second place after a winless spell, PAOK returned to the win column with a tender 2-1 win over Thrasyvoulos in Thessaloniki. Again it was the clutch performing of Ibrahim Bakayoko that saved ‘Dikefale tou Vorra’ from embarrassment at the intense Toumba Stadium.

Skoda Xanthi FC 0-1 Ergotelis FC
Koutsianikoulis 61′

Ergotelis handed Skoda Xanthi’s playoff hopes a detrimental blow as the Cretans slipped past the Thracians with a 1-0 win at the Skoda Xanthi Arena. The Canaries again relied on Vasilis Koutsianikoulis to pave the way to maximum points, as the blonde-haired bandit, who is dubbed the Greek Lionel Messi, struck just past the hour mark to account for the match’s only goal.

Asteras Tripolis FC 1-1 Panathinaikos
Kaounos 65′ – Salpigidis 24′

Having held Olympiacos to a 2-2 draw just days earlier, Asteras Tripolis put on a similar performance to claim a point in their scalp with Panathinaikos in Tripoli. The spoils were shared when Vaggelis Kaounos’ second half tally cancelled out Dimitrios Salpigidis’ opener.

Iraklis FC 0-2 Larissa FC
Zurawski 73′, Metin 82′

With their fate in their own hands, Larissa made the most of their trip to Thessaloniki as the ‘Vyssini’ strolled to a 2-0 win over Iraklis. Late second half goals from Maciej Zurawski and Tumer Metin were more than enough for Marinos Ouzounidis’ men, who now lead pursuers Aris FC by four points for the last playoff spot.

Up Next…
Like most leagues across Europe, and possibly the world, the Greek Super League does not have any fixtures scheduled for the ensuing weekend as international play resumes on various levels. In fact, the Greek National Team will be the focus for the next week and a half as Otto Rehhagel’s men continue their quest to qualify for the 2010 World Cup with a double-date with Israel.

However, when action does resume in two weeks time, the chase for the final playoff spot and OFI’s bid to remain a Super League side will be put under the microscope once again.

Sunday, April 5^th, 2008
Levadeiakos FC vs. Olympiacos CFP
Panthrakikos FC vs. AEK Athens FC
Larissa FC vs. Panionios FC
Aris FC vs. OFI Crete FC
Thrasyvoulos Fylis FC vs. Iraklis FC
Ergotelis FC vs. Panserraikos FC
Asteras Tripolis FC vs. PAOK FC
Panathinaikos FC vs. Skoda Xanthi FC

Larissa FC 0-0 PAOK FC

Larissa’s home advantage was not enough to overcome PAOK at the Alkazar Stadium on Saturday as the two sides, who are in the thick of the playoff race, shared the spoils in a scoreless stalemate.

Having lost to Panathinaikos in Athens last week, pressure had become a factor for Larissa as rivals continue their pursuit of the final playoff spot. PAOK, meanwhile, followed last weekend’s derby draw with Olympiacos with yet another 0-0 draw to lose ground on second placed Panathinaikos and the aforementioned titleholders.

AEK FC 1-0 OFI Crete FC
Kafes 23′

Hoping to close the gap for second place, AEK grabbed a slim 1-0 win over OFI Crete at the OAKA Spyros Louis Stadium. With PAOK’s slip earlier in the day, AEK’s three points allowed for the Athenians to creep closer to their Thessaloniki rivals and almost guarantees OFI a drop to the B’ Ethniki next season.

AEK went ahead when Ismael Blanco’s cross was blocked by OFI ‘keeper Arkadiusz Malarz but only as far as Pantelis Kafes, who easily slotted his effort past an out-of-position Malarz. There was no way back for OFI, and Ioannis Matzourakis’ men look destined for a stint in the second-tier of Greek football.

Aris FC 0-1 Skoda Xanthi FC
Agali 80′

Aware of Larissa’s lapse against PAOK, Aris failed to take advantage of the opportunity to inch closer to the promise land known as the final playoff spot. Instead, it was Skoda Xanthi who gained some ground on Larissa with a 1-0 win at the Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium surely spoiling the home crowd’s evening.

Level throughout most of the match, Victor Agali’s sweet strike proved to be the difference. The Nigerian calmly collected a loose ball at the edge of the Aris box, and swiftly turned before smashing a driven shot into the top corner of the Aris goal.

Ergotelis FC 0-1 Asteras Tripolis FC
Kaounos 33′

Asteras Tripolis continued its climb up the Greek table as the Arcadian followed up last weekend’s 4-0 thrashing of Aris with a 1-0 defeat of Ergotelis in Heraklion. In a relegation log jam just a few weeks ago, Asteras claimed another three points to further support a late chase for the playoffs.

While last week’s rout of Aris was kickstarted by Michalis Sifakis’ sending off, Asteras surged ahead on thirty-three minutes. Adrian Bastia threaded a pass for Vaggelis Kaounos, who freely etched his name onto the scoreboard for the fifth time this season.

Despite home advantage on their side, Ergotelis failed to respond as Asteras claimed a league double over the Cretans.

Levadeiakos FC 1-1 Panionios FC
Napoleoni 72′ – Recoba 35′

With safety in the Super League not yet confirmed, Levadeiakos and Panionios played to a 1-1 draw in Levadia and the point boosted both campaigns in hopes of avoiding the drop.

Although their lead on the drop zone was – and still is – quite substantial, neither side has yet to clinch a spot in next year’s line-up of the Greek top flight. Alvaro Recoba took the initiative to assure Panionios of a spot next year as the Uruguayan netted the match’s breakthrough on thirty-five minutes. The former Inter Milan man weaved past two markers before slotting a low shot past Levadeiakos custodian Srdjan Blazic.

It took nearly forty-minutes for the home side to respond, but they managed to equalize on seventy-two minutes through Stefano Napoleoni. The Italian midfielder eluded defenders a he strolled into the Panionios half before releasing a shot from long distance. While the effort had plenty of power, Panionios ‘keeper Tomas Belic must have been disappointed with his decision to punch the ball as Levadeiakos levelled the match with a fluke-like tally.

Panthrakikos FC 2-1 Panserraikos FC
Diallo 14′, Zapropoulos 89′ – Abubakari 25′

After last week’s disastrous 5-1 loss at the hands of AEK, Panserraikos was unable to redeem themselves against fellow promoted side Panthrakikos as the ‘Liontaria’ were dealt a huge blow through a 2-1 loss in Komotini.

The hosts got off to a flying start when Abdul Diallo pounced after Panserraikos ‘keeper Fotis Kipouros fumbled Tim Matthys’ corner to allow the Burkina Faso striker easily popped in the loose ball on fourteen minutes.

The lead, however, didn’t last long. Panserraikos managed to level the score at 1-1 through a header by Mohammed Abubakari off a perfect cross from Marco Aurelio.

Heartbreak was the theme just before full-time as Panthrakikos went ahead once again, but this time there was little time for Panserraikos to respond. Set for extra time, Panserraikos’ slim chances of staying in the Super League took a heavy knock when Nikos Zapropoulos’ header beat Kipouros on eighty-nine minutes.

Thrasyvoulos Fylis FC 0-1 Panathinaikos FC
Salpigidis (pen.) 13′

Deflated by their Champions League exit thanks to the likes of Villarreal, Panathinaikos turned its attention to claiming second spot in the Greek Super League with a 1-0 win over Thrasyvoulos in Fyli.

With what was a questionable penalty call on Thrasyvoulos ‘keeper Peterson Pecanha, the referee paved the way for a spot-kick for Panathinaikos after just thirteen minutes.

Dimitris Salpigidis, who was the fouled party, made no mistake with his penalty effort to send Panathinaikos ahead with what was enough to keep Thrasyvoulos on the losing end.

Olympiacos CFP 5-0 Iraklis FC
Torosidis 60′, Oscar 64′, 79′, Derbyshire 82′, 87′

Olympiacos returned to the form which won them praises and matches by large margins in ahead of the New Year as Ernesto Valverde’s men claimed an emphatic 5-0 win over Iraklis at the Giorgos Karaiskakis Stadium.

Vasilis Torosidis’ late first half goal was cancelled by an offside call, but the Greece international struck again on the hour mark to initiate Iraklis’ crumble.

Soon afterwards the deterioration continued as Fernando Belluschi connected with Oscar who tallied swiftly past ‘keeper Giorgos Bantis. A nearly-identical series of events panned out on seventy-nine minutes as Oscar secured a brace after another assist from Belluschi.

Not to be outdone by his Spanish teammate, Matt Derbyshire added to Iraklis woes as the unmarked Englishman easily converted a grounded cross from Leonardo to make it 4-0 for the hosts.

But the evening’s pain for Iraklis didn’t stop there, at least not until Derbyshire notched his second goal of the night. Collecting a neatly crafted pass from Predrag Djordjevic, Derbyshire weaved through the defense before beating Bantis to the near post with a grounded strike.

Next Up:

The Greek Cup takes center stage during midweek as the introductory legs of the semi-final ties take the stage in Athens between AEK and Panserraikos, and in Tripolis between Asteras Tripolis and Olympiacos.

The weekend then offers excitement as the final four weeks of football begin with the twenty-seventh round schedule:

OFI Crete FC vs. Panthrakikos FC
Iraklis FC vs. Larissa FC
Panionios FC vs. Olympiacos CFP
PAOK FC vs. Thrasyvoulos Fylis FC
Skoda Xanthi FC vs. Ergotelis FC
AEK FC vs. Levadeiakos FC
Asteras Tripolis FC vs. Panathinaikos FC
Panserraikos FC vs. Aris FC

The General Manager of the Greek Super League Board, Patrick Komninos, introduced the new design to the Super League title. “The trophy chosen by the Governing Council aims to enhance the visual identity of the OPAP Championship,” said Komninos.

The new design was voted on by the Super League Board, and the decision was revealed on Thursday.

“We want to reward the Champions with a recognizable trophy, which also reflects the image of the Super League,” continued Komninos.

“The trophy will be awarded for five seasons, starting with this year’s championship. We hope to establish the true identity of the Super League in the minds of fans alike.”

Olympiacos are the clear favourites to secure their fifth consecutive title, twelfth in the last thirteen years, and become the first club to claim the new trophy. The Piraeus giants lead Thessaloniki side PAOK by nine points with six matchdays remaining on the Super League schedule.

Asteras Tripolis FC 1-0 Panionios GSS FC
(Asteras Tripolis FC advances 2-0 on aggregate)
Bastia 34′

The action started in Tripoli as Asteras Tripolis aimed to uphold a 1-0 aggregate lead over Panionios in front of their home fans. The hosts didn’t wait for their opponents to level the aggregate score-line as Adrian Bastia put Asteras up 1-0 in the match, 2-0 on aggregate, and prematurely into the ensuing round when he struck just past the half-hour mark.

Despite having both Alvaro Recoba and Faian Estoyanoff in the line-up, Panionios was unable to solve a steeled Asteras defense. Panagiotis Stamatopoulos’ men failed to survive to reach the next round of the Greek Cup. A momentous win for Nikos Kostenoglou’s was the main story, however, as the Arcadian club is happily distracted from the relegation battle in the Super League with their first ever appearance in the semi-finals of the Greek Cup.

Panathianikos FC 2-3 Panserraikos FC
(Panserraikos advances 3-2 on aggregate)
Baykara 23′, Ceh 56′ (pen.), 71′ – Christodoulopoulos 75′, 90′ + 3′

In Athens, Panathinaikos was expected to easily dispose of Panserraikos after the two sides played to a 0-0 draw in Serres. The visitors, however, jumped to an early lead and were on pace for a rout of their hosts until Henk Ten Cate’s side pulled back two goals to make the result respectable, but not enough for a ticket into the next round.

Panserraikos grabbed an early lead through Deniz Baykara’s twenty-third minute goal, after the Turkish midfielder combined with team-mate Patrick Zoundi to slip past Panathinaikos defender Loukas Vyntra and slot a perfect strike past ‘keeper Mario Galinovic.

The deficit grew by a further goal for the traveling ‘Liontaria’ when Nastja Ceh converted a penalty after Vyntra had committed a foul on Giorgos Pipinis in the Panathinaikos box. The Slovenian didn’t need a spot kick to add his second of the match on seventy-one minutes. Sotiris Konstantinidis did most of the work before shuffling off the ball for the wide open Ceh, who in turn made no mistake as he beat Galinovic for the second time in fifteen minutes.

A gloomy silence fell over the Athenian crowd that expected an untroubled passage into the next round. The ever stubborn Lazaros Christodoulopoulos took matters into his own hands with a response for Panathinaikos on seventy-five minutes with a slick finish off a free-kick for the former U-21 Greece international.

A brace for the former PAOK striker was elusive until the third minute of stoppage time as another individual effort from Christodoulopoulos concluded with another goal for Panathinaikos. Speeding down the flank and then into the Panserraikos box, the 22-year old fired a shot towards the goal, and with a little help from Panserraikos Anastasios Papazoglou the visitors’ lead was reduced to just one.

Although Panathinaikos had picked up momentum in the last quarter of an hour, the effort was simply too little too late for the Athenians, who shockingly crashed out of the Greek Cup, while Panserraikos progresses to the next round.

Olympiacos CFP 2-0 PAOK FC
(Olympiacos advances 2-1 on aggregate)
Diogo 46′, Derbyshire 108′

In Piraeus the derby between Olympiacos and PAOK was renewed at the Giorgos Karaiskakis Stadium. The hosts had lost the first leg thanks to Sergio Conceicao’s chipped effort giving PAOK the edge at the Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki.

Having already traveled to the port city for a Super League meeting, PAOK’s 2-0 defeat to Olympiacos ahead of the New Year was a worrying point for manager Fernando Santos. His side were forced to remain in a defensive shell for most of the match, but that didn’t stop Olympiacos from putting a couple ticks on the scoreboard.

After a frustrating first-half, Diogo put Olympiacos on the right track just one minute after the interval. The Brazilian accurately directed his header past PAOK ‘keeper Kostas Chalkis when a pinpoint cross from Luciano Galletti came calling for the former Portuguesa striker.

Despite Olympiacos’ early breach of the PAOK barricades had levelled the aggregate score, the highly desired second goal was far more elusive for thedefensing Greek Cup Champions. They did, however, gain an obvious advantage when Pablo Contreras and Vladimir Ivic picked up their second caution of the night ahead of the eighty-minute mark.

Down to nine men, and needing a goal, progression looked out of the question for PAOK as Ernesto Valverde’s Olympiacos looked to stamp their ticket into the round. It took them a bit of time, however, as PAOK’s pesky defending forced extra time in ‘Limani’.

The wait was over when Matt Derbyshire headed home a misguided effort from Galletti. The young Englishman was an early second-half substitute for Christos Patsatzoglou, but his presence wasn’t felt until the on-loan Blackburn Rovers forward imposed his name on the scoreboard on one-hundred and eight minutes.

There was no comeback for PAOK as Olympiacos clamped down in defense; derailing the promising bid from PAOK to reach the semi-finals.

With the win, Olympiacos sets up a semi-final meeting with Asteras Tripolis, while Panserraikos’ fairy tale run continues with another visit to the OAKA Spyros Louis Stadium to take on AEK.

Larissa FC 3-2 Ergotelis FC
Zurawski 15′, Fotakis 47′ Guela 54′ – Fernandes 34′, Budimir 82′

A five goal thriller in Larissa ended with Ergotelis dropping a result to Larissa as the weekend’s action got off to a rampant start with Saturday’s matinee match. The hosts took the lead after the quarter-hour mark as Maciej Zurawski shot past Zsolt Posza to give the ‘Vyssini’ an early lead. Mauricio Fernandes levelled the score-line just past the half-hour mark as Ergotelis clawed back with an equalizer ahead of the interval.

It took just two minutes after the restart for Larissa to reclaim their one-goal advantage thanks to a strike from Giorgos Fotakis. Did’dy Guela put the hosts on pace for three points with his fifty-fourth minute tally, but that wasn’t enough to discourage Mario Budimir from setting up a tense finale when he found the back of the net on eighty-two minutes.

Marinos Ouzounidis’ Larissa secured the win despite a late revival by the Cretans, and extended their unbeaten streak to thirteen games. Ergotelis manager Nikos Karageorgiou was left frustrated as his side were unable to translate confidence from last weekend’s win over league leaders Olympiacos.

Next weekend Larissa will take their unbeatable run to Athens to meet with Panathinaikos, while Ergotelis’ road trip continues when they face Thrasyvoulos in Fyli.

Aris FC 2-1 Thrasyvoulos Fylis FC
Campora (pen.) 35′, Wlodarczyk 90′ + 1′ – Prittas (o.g.) 3′

It took a late strike from Piotr Wlodarczyk for Aris to fend off a pesky Thrasyvoulos at the Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium in Thessaloniki. The hosts had to fight their way back to claim maximum points.

Sakis Tsiolis’ Thrasyoulos was given a dream start when Aris defender Athanassios Prittas turned the ball into his own net off a Wellington corner.

They were lashed with reality soon after the half-hour mark as Javier Campora slotted home a penalty kick to equalize for the hosts.

When Nikos Karmbelas was shown his second caution of the night, it appeared Aris’ chances of bagging three points were severely dented just past the hour mark.

Iomar Mazinho’s side weren’t discouraged, however, as Aris finally grabbed the lead in the first minute of stoppage time as a somewhat Wlodarczyk somewhat clumsily deposited Neto’s pinpoint cross to give ‘O Theos tou Polemou’ a dramatic win in front of their home supporters.

The win snapped a two-game winless streak for Aris, but Thrasyvoulos’ losing streak was extended to a woeful seven games. They’ll look to snap the streak and improve their bid to escape the dreaded relegation when Ergotelis visits Fyli. Aris faces a trip south to Tripoli for a meeting with Asteras Triplis.

AEK Athens FC 2-1 Skoda Xanthi FC
Edinho 10′, Blanco 49′ – Poy 57′

Just days after their Greek Cup encounter, AEK entertained Skoda Xanthi at the OAKA Spyros Louis Stadium for the second time in four days, and like their midweek meetin in Athens, AEK edged the Thracian outfit with a slim one-goal win.

On Wednesday, it was a late goal from Ismael Blanco that gave AEK a 1-0 win to clinch progress to the semi-finals of the Cup. On Saturday, Dusan Bajevic’s side took an early lead through Edinho. The Brazilian made the most of a through pass from Blanco to beat Michael Gspurning.

Soon after the interval, Blanco put the game further out of Xanthi’s reach with a forty-ninth minute tally. The Argentine was sent in on a breakaway via a hail-marry pass from Sotiris Kyrgiakos, and made no mistake with his effort; however, a look at the replay indicated Blanco was offside when Kyrgiakos launched the ball towards the striker – it didn’t matter, the goal stood.

Eight minutes after they were undone by a questionable goal, Xanthi grabbed a goal back through Mauro Poy. Charilaos Pappas initiated the play with a through pass to the flank for Giannis Papadimitriou, and the latter cheekily slotted home a goal for the visitors.

There was no comeback in store, however, as AEK held on to claim their second victory against Xanthi in less than a week.

The Athenians will travel to Panserraikos next weekend in hopes of sealing a playoff berth in Serres, while Xanthi looks to inch closer to the highly pursued fifth place in the Super League as local rivals Panthrakikos visit the Skoda Xanthi Arena.

Levadeiakos FC 3-0 Iraklis FC
Moulopoulos 22, Napoleoni 45′, Koltzos 90′

Hoping to avoid relegation, Levadeiakos gave an astonishing performance in their 3-0 rout of Iraklis to kickoff Sunday’s Super League action.

Levadeiakos defender Athanassios Moulopoulos put his side ahead after twenty-two minutes as he concluded a passing-play between him and Leonardo with a goal.

It was Leonardo again playing provider just before the interval as his free-kick was turned in by Stefano Napoleoni.

The rout was completed late in the second half as Giorgos Koltzos breached the Iraklis defense and surged out to a breakaway on Wojciech Kowalewski, and made no mistake by firing past the Polish ‘keeper.

Iraklis, who looked headed for greener pastures just two weeks ago, have been slapped with reality andremain near the relegation zone yet again. They’ll look to add some distance between them and the bottom three when they host Panionios at the Kaftanzogleio Stadium in Thessaloniki.

Levadeiakos, meanwhile, will travel to Heraklion where OFI hosts Momcilo Vukotic’s men at the Pankritio Stadium in Crete.

OFI Crete FC 0-0 Panserraikos FC

A goalless end to the affair between OFI and Panserraikos in Crete did little to help either side’s bid to escape the relegation, as the full-time came with a bitter pill of disappointment after their rivals managed to gain ground on the relegation stricken pair.

Panserraikos did, however, extend their unbeaten streak to three games.  While Panathinaikos and the Greek Cup is in their immediate sights as Hugo Broos’ squad attempts to stir an upset on Wednesday night in Athens; the ‘Liontaria’ will resume their plans to remain a Super League side a few days after their Athens trip. In hopes of extending their unbeaten run to four games, the Serres side will face Athenian side AEK, who could potentially spoil their plans.

OFI’s unbeaten has already reached four matches, but it still isn’t enough for Ioannis Matzourakis’ men to escape the relegation zone. They’ll host Levadeiakos next weekend in hopes of cutting the deficit between them and their guests, who sit in the much desired thirteenth spot.

Panionios FC 2-1 PAOK FC
Lourenco 58′ – Bakayoko 75′ 90′ + 3′

Ibrahim Bakayoko put on a late goal-scoring performance to give PAOK a dramatic win over Panionios in Nea Smyrni. With Panionios leading after fifty-eight minutes, Bakayoko struck twice in the final fifteen minutes to break ‘Kyanerythri’ hearts.

Angolan striker Lourenco da Silva put the hosts ahead when he made the most of chaos in the PAOK box, and slotted home the loose ball past a confused Kostas Chalkias.

The equalizer was crafted by a run by Sergio Conceicao, who then turned the ball over to Bakayoko with a simple pass into the Panionios box.  The Ivorian Coast striker made no mistake as he slotted his effort into the top corner past Panionios ‘keeper Dario Kresic.

Ten minutes after PAOK retaliated on the scoreboard, Grigoris Makos was show his second yellow of the night, to set up a grinding finale for the hosts.

With the strength in numbers, Bakayoko made sure PAOK cashed in as he scored the winning goal in the third minute of stoppage time. Conceicao again played provider as he lashed a cross towards Zlatan Muslimovic, but the Bosnian striker saw his effort slam off the crossbar. Keeping his eye on the ball, Bakayoko pounced on the rebound to slot home a somewhat acrobatic finish past Kresic.

Leaving it late to secure maximum points, PAOK extended its winning streak to three games. The Thessaloniki side now face a double date with Olympiacos which begins on Wednesday in Piraeus, as the top two sides in the Greek Super League clash at the Giorgos Karaiskakis Stadium for a spot in the semi-finals of the Greek Cup. The venue will shift to the Toumba Stadium on the weekend, as PAOK puts its undefeated home record to its biggest test of the year.

Panionios will also take part in a quarterfinal Greek Cup tie, but they’re up against the odds with Asteras Tripolis holding an aggregate edge ahead of the return leg in Tripoli. On the league front, Panionios resumes its Super League schedule on Saturday afternoon against Iraklis in Thessaloniki.

Olympiacos CFP 0-0 Panathinaikos FC

The highlight fixture of the weekend, which is likely the latter half of most anticipated match of the season, featured two long-time rivals clashing at the Giorgos Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus. The ancient port city played host to Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, for the 100^th league meeting between Greece’s most fierce rivals.

While there was no scoring done in Piraeus, there wasn’t a shortage of suspense as both teams looked to overcome their rivals. Jose Sarriegi was shown two yellow cards before the hour mark, as Panathinaikos was forced to play with ten-men after the Spaniard was dismissed on fifty-eight minutes.

The visiting Athenians arguably had the best chance of the match when Giorgos Karagounis slammed his seventieth minute set-piece effort off Antonis Nikpolidis’ right post.

At the other end, Fernando Belluschi forced Mario Galinovic to stretch acrobatically in order to keep out the Argentine’s header just minutes before the full-time whistle.

Olympiacos avoided defeat for the first time in three matches spanning all competitions, but the ‘Erythrolefki’ remained disappointed with the derby draw.

Two more derbies lie not too far in the horizon as a Cup meeting with PAOK is followed by a rematch with ‘Dikefale tou Vorra’ on the ensuing weekend.

Panathinaikos have a lighter schedule, but urgency will be required when Panserraikos makes a visit to the OAKA Spyros Louis Stadium with a 0-0 aggregate score-line. Larissa visits Henk Ten Cate’s Panathinaikos on Saturday.

Panthrakikos FC 0-0 Asteras Tripolis FC

In the third scoreless fixture of the weekend, Panthrakikos and Asteras Tripolis duelled to a stalemate in Komotini.

Neither could net a breakthrough, which would have rightly been vital to either outfit’s domestic campaign. Asteras Tripolis grabbed a valuable point away from home, but Nikos Kostenoglou’s men are likely to reflect on the game with a missed chance at furthering themselves from the relegation zone.

Emilio Ferrera’s Panthrakikos are not as closely associated with the bottom three clubs in the Greek table, but are also likely to feel they missed out on maximum points.

Asteras Tripolis faces Panionios at home in the Greek Cup on Wednesday, before welcoming Aris to Tripoli on Saturday. Panthrakikos’ Greek Cup campaign has already come to an end, but they face a trip to local rivals Skoda Xanthi as the Thracian pair meet in Komotini.

Larissa FC vs. Ergotelis FC
Without former Greece international Stelios Giannakopoulos, Larissa welcomes Ergotelis to the Alkazar Stadium to kick-off the weekend’s festivities. Undefeated in their last twelve Super League matches, Marinos Ouzounidis’ Larissa will hope to inch closer to locking down a playoff spot by overcoming their Cretan guests. But while the hosts are the foreseeable favourites, Ergotelis’ 1-0 win over Olympiacos last Sunday gives the ‘Canaries’ a boost heading into the meeting.

Aris FC vs. Thrasyvoulos Fylis
Hoping to claw their way back into the playoff picture, Aris tackles Thrasyvoulos at the Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium in Thessaloniki. The hosts failed to close the gap between them and Larissa last weekend and now need to begin a lengthy winning streak if they are to even dream of European competition next season. With Thrasyvoulos winless in their last six Super League fixtures, the hosts are being tipped by many to collect maximum points in front of their home crowd. Nonetheless, the visitors will look to stir an upset in the midst of falling to the foot of the table as hope continues to escape the Super League’s cellar dwellers.

AEK Athens FC vs. Skoda Xanthi FC
A late header from Ismael Blanco gave AEK a 1-0 win over Skoda Xanthi in the Greek Cup on Wednesday, but the Athenians will have to defeat the same Thracian side again on Saturday as the pair meet at the OAKA Spyros Louis Stadium in Athens. Giorgos Paraschos’ Xanthi failed to hold onto a 2-1 aggregate lead in Athens during midweek and were dismissed from the Cup as AEK slipped into the semi-final frame. Now, out to level the score, the Thracians will aim to boost their still speculative chances of reaching the playoffs by handing Dusan Bajevic’s side a blow on Athenian turf. It may be a tall order for Xanthi as AEK has allowed just two goals in the Super League since the start of the New Year.

Levadeiakos FC vs. Iraklis FC
Hoping to snap a five-game losing streak, Levadeiakos entertains Iraklis in Levadeia to commence Sunday’s slate of Super League fixtures. Momcilo Vukotic’s men have struggled in their last five matches, and have been kept off the score sheet since their 4-0 thumping of Ergotelis in January. Spiralling towards the relegation zone, the hosts will look to halt a turbulent Iraklis who are coming off a 1-0 derby defeat to PAOK. Makis Katsavakis’ men picked up a valuable point when Panathinaikos traveled to the Kaftanzogelio Stadium two weeks ago, but they are still in reaching distance from the relegation zone. A full three points will do marvels for either side.

OFI Crete FC vs. Panserraikos FC
Two early relegation candidates meet at the Pankritio Stadium in Crete as OFI hosts Panserraikos on Greece’s largest island. OFI has begun a bit of an impressive streak by going undefeated in their last three matches in hopes of escaping the relegation zone. The Cretans will need to improve on their home record, however, if they are to remain a Super League club at season’s end. Posting just one win at home this season, Ioannis Matzourakis’ men will need to overcome Panserraikos to boost their chances of staying up. The same holds true for Panserraikos, who also need a victory to assure survival. Two points on their hosts, and one away from safety, the ‘Liontaria’ will be keen to extend their winning streak after a two-game home-stand allowed Hugo Broos’ side to collect full points against Skoda Xanthi and Levadeiakos.

Panionios FC vs. PAOK FC
Lambros Choutos returns to Nea Smyrni on Sunday as PAOK travels to face Panionios. The former Olympiacos and Inter Milan striker left the ‘Kyanerythri’ on bitter terms during the January transfer window, and will expectedly be jeered when he steps out onto the pitch. All emotions aside, both sides may be distracted by their Greek Cup plans that will come forth on Wednesday. PAOK faces a double-date with league leader Olympiacos next week and will gladly pursue a chance to close the gap behind the runaway league leaders. Panionios, who travels to Tripoli to face Asteras Tripolis on Wednesday, will look inch closer to the last playoff spot by overcoming their northern visitors. With just one win in their last six matches, Fabian Estoyanoff will need to be at his very best if Panionios is to deal PAOK their fourth loss of the season.

Olympiacos CFP vs. Panathinaikos FC
The biggest derby in Greek football returns to the limelight when Panathinaikos visits the Giorgos Karaiskakis Stadium to take on archrivals Olympiacos. A midweek stalemate with Villarreal in Spain gives Panathinaikos plenty of confidence ahead of this much anticipated meeting, but a trip to Karaiskaki is always a daunting task for the ‘Trifylli’. Trailing their inter-city rivals by a remarkable eleven points, Henk Ten Cate’s men will aim to trim the deficit to eight points with a win in Piraeus.  Not as fortunate in their own European campaign, Olympiacos will be hoping to rebound after French side Saint-Etienne bounced them from the UEFA Cup on Thursday. A derby win against their fierce rivals will sooth the pain in Piraeus and halt a three-game slide in all competitions.  Ernesto Valverde’s side will be boosted by the return of superstar Luciano Galletti after a nagging injury sidelined the Argentine for the ‘Erythrolefki’s’ last two matches.

Panthrakikos FC vs. Asteras Tripolis FC
AEK purged Asteras’ five-game unbeaten run last weekend, but that won’t discourage the Arcadians from returning to the win column when they meet up with Panthrakikos in Komotini. Nikos Kostenoglou remains adamant his side are primarily focusing on avoiding relegation, despite Asteras nearing a semi-final appearance in the Greek Cup ahead of a replay with Panionios on Wednesday. Sitting just for points up on the relegation zone, Asteras will need a victory on Sunday to inject comfort in the minds of the club’s vocal supporters. Emilio Ferrera’s Panthrakikos, meanwhile, overcame Thrasyvoulos with a 2-0 win in Fyli last week, to discretely cover-up the suspension of ‘keeper Jose Rocas after a failed drug test by the Spaniard cost Panathrakikos’ number one custodian a one-year ban. Snapping a three-game slide last weekend, the Thracians will look to reproduce a similar performance to overcome a determined Asteras.

Skoda Xanthi FC 0-0 OFI Crete FC
A scoreless night in Xanthi meant Skoda Xanthi and visitors OFI shared the spoils in Pigadia. While there will be disappointment for Giorgos Paraschos’ men, especially after their midweek Cup defeat for AEK Athens. OFI’s ability to grab a point does help their chances of staying in the Super League for at least another year, but does assert more pressure for the weeks to come.

PAOK FC 1-0 Iraklis FC
In the season’s second edition of the Thessaloniki derby between PAOK and Iraklis, a goal from Pablo Contreras separated both sides afternearly eighty minutes of scoreless football. Holding their own for most of the match, Iraklis constantly looked likely to score the match’s breakthrough; however, a costly defensive error dug a deep hole for Makis Katsavakis’ men. There was no way back for the visitors, who were bitterly deflated when Contreras converted Sergio Conceicao’s cross.

Panathinaikos FC 2-1 Panionios GSS
Another local derby, this one in Athens between Panathinaikos and Panionios ended with a slim win for the hosts. Second-half goals from Antonis Petropoulos and Dimitrios Salpigidis put Panathinaikos ahead by two, but Fabian Estoyanoff secured a consolation goal for the visitors. With European ambitions still occupying the OAKA Spyros Louis Stadium, the win was a much needed boost for Henk Ten Cate’s men, who tackle Villarreal in Spain on Wednesday.

Panserraikos FC 1-0 Levadeiakos FC
On Sunday, the Super League schedule resumed, and a matinee match in Serres saw Panserraikos claim their third consecutive home win, after going winless in their nine previous home stands. A lone goal Nino Milenkovic gave Hugo Broos’ side a confidence boosting victory, but it was the series of early dismissals that hogged the headlines. A total of three double bookings clogged the plot, as Panserraikos’ Anastasios Papazoglou and Mohammed Abubakari, and Levadeiakos’ Patrick Dimbala were sent to locker rooms ahead of the final whistle.

Thrasyvoulos Fylis 0-2 Panthrakikos FC
Panthrakikos ended a bad week on high, as the Thracians, with a little help, overcame Thrasyvoulos in Fyli with a 2-0 score-line. After ‘keeper Jose Roca was sentenced to a one-year ban due to unexplained drug use, which was utilized for asthma and not performance, Panthrakikos was tipped to be on a path for doom. On Sunday, however, a penalty strike from Sito Riera, and an own goal by Dimitris Mavrogenidis gave the Komotini-based club an important victory. Thrasyvoulos was pushed even deeper down into the relegation zone, and now look likely to return to the Beta Ethniki next year.

Larissa FC 1-1 Aris FC
In a meeting between two sides fighting for the final playoff spot, Aris was unable to close the gap between them and their closest rivals. A late goal from Aris captain Sergio Koke denied Larissa, who had gone ahead through a tally from Poland international Maciej Zurawski not more than ten minutes before. Larissa looked to be in trouble when star midfielder and impact goal scorer, Stelios Giannakopoulos, went down to injury just past the twenty-minute mark. His immediate replacement, Zurawski, struck after seventy-seven minutes, but ultimately Larissa was unable to triumph at home.

Asteras Tripolis FC 0-1 AEK Athens FC
It was a similar result to their prior meeting, as AEK left it late once again to overcome a determined Asteras Tripolis. Facing his former employers, Nikos Kostenoglou narrowly put together another slaying of a Greek titan. Instead it was another late winner from AEK that stole the result from the Arcadian club. Daniel Majstorovic struck his second goal against the Peloponnesian club, and AEK grabbed three much needed points to extend their undefeated run to three games. Both sides will quickly shift their focus to Cup aspirations, as both outfits host their quarterfinal opponents with work to do.
*** Don’t forget to stay up-to-date with AEK news by joining Chris Paraskevas over at the AEK Blog.

Ergotelis FC 1-0 Olympiacos CFP
Slumping to just their second Super League defeat of the season, Olympiacos was upset by Cretan side Ergotelis. Vasilis Koutsianikoulis, one of the Super League’s revelations this year, exposed the Olympiacos defense, and goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis, to give his side a memorable win against the Greek Champions. It seems Olympiacos is still focused on their European campaign, and a 3-1 deficit to French side Saint-Etienne rightly assumes full attention for the Super League leaders.
*** Don’t forget to stay up-to-date with Olympiacos news by joining Chris Pavlakos and myself over at the Olympiacos Blog.