Englishman Nabi scores from two free kicks on his OFI debut
PAOK, Olympiakos and AEK marched on with victories in the Super League, while Atromitos dropped to fourth after going down at Xanthi on Sunday.
However the face of the weekend was Adil Nabi, the Englishman who scored twice on his debut with OFI Crete on Sunday, both goals coming from direct free kicks, to help OFI down Panetolikos 3-0 in Iraklio. This was the first time in 19 years the same player has scored from two free kicks in the same top-flight match.
With 14 games left to play PAOK is the number 1 favorite for the league title, that would be its first since 1985, after a comfortable 3-0 home win over 10-man Panionios on Saturday. Diego Biseswar, Adelino Vieirinha and Yevhen Shakhov scored for the league leader that enjoys an eight-point advantage at the top.
Second-placed Olympiakos braved the challenge of PAS Giannina away to win 2-1, with Lazaros Christodoulopoulos scoring for the first time since the start of the championship to give the Reds an important road win. Olympiakos had led with an Apostolos Skondras own goal but PAS responded through an own goal by Jagos Vukovic. Christodoulopoulos was the only one to find the right net.
Champion AEK picked up from where it had left off at Ioannina, when it had trounced PAS 4-0 with four first-half goals last Monday, as on Sunday it saw off visiting Asteras Tripolis 3-0, all goals coming within 19 minutes in the first half from Marko Livaja, Alef and Ezequiel Ponce. AEK has now risen to third.
Larissa shared a goalless draw with Aris, as did the bottom two of the table, Apollon and Levadiakos, while Xanthi came from behind to beat Atromitos 2-1 at home and join Panathinaikos and Aris in fifth.
However Panathinaikos has a game in hand, as on Monday it travels to Lamia.
