|
By George Georgakopoulos
PAOK’s shock loss at home to Xanthi brought Asteras Tripolis up to the second spot of the Super League on Sunday, when Olympiakos scored another away win with a late goal. The Reds are now 14 points clear at the top thanks to a Pablo Contreras goal four minutes from time at Komotini, with which the runaway league leader beat Panthrakikos 1-0. The game took place on Sunday after its postponement on Saturday due to a blizzard. Xanthi upset a subdued PAOK at Thessaloniki with a first-half strike by Benjamin Onwuachi that is putting PAOK manager Giorgos Donis’s job at risk. The game took place in the presence of Greece coach Fernando Santos and former Brazil star Roberto Carlos, both guests of PAOK on the day. That result allowed Asteras Tripolis to leapfrog over PAOK, after beating Platanias Hanion 3-0 away from home, with all three goals from Papa Sankare, Ximo Navarro and Emanuel Perrone coming in the first half. Panathinaikos, in seventh, scored its first league win after 56 days, beating fourth-placed Atromitos at Peristeri with a 2-1 score through goals by Zeca and Jean-Alain Boumsong. Tasos Karamanos scored a consolation goal in the end. Such was the disappointment of Atromitos president Giorgos Spanos that he announced his departure from the club at the end of the season. The weekend also saw a rare win for AEK that has lifted the Athens club to fifth from bottom. The Yellow-and-Blacks came from 1-0 down to win 2-1 at the Olympic Stadium of Athens through goals by Antonis Petropoulos and Michalis Pavlis. In other weekend games, Panionios beat visiting Levadiakos 2-1 and PAS Giannina defeated Veria 2-0 at home. On Monday Kerkyra greets Aris. | 
