Greek Wrap (…Not a Gyro) Round 27: Polished Silverware

By: Peter Katsiris | March 24th, 2009

The weekend’s slate of games ended with Olympiacos collecting silverware in the Greek Super League for the fifth consecutive season, and the twelfth time in the last thirteen years. The news came after the Greek Champions pegged back to beat Panionios and Asteras Tripolis held Panathinaikos to a miserable 1-1 draw in Tripoli. At the other end of the table Panserraikos’ loss to Aris in Serres looks to confirm the ‘Liontaria’s’ return back to the Beta Ethniki, while OFI’s hopes lived to fight another day with a dramatic win against Panthrakikos. Extra football could hit Larissa, however, as the ‘Vyssini’ took a step closer to securing the last available playoff berth.

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