Reds get going after shock

Champion Olympiakos beats Asteras Tripolis 3-1 in Super League opener

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Soccer champion Olympiakos got its domestic campaign off to a perfect start on Saturday with a 3-1 win over Asteras Tripolis, taking full advantage of the fact that its two main rivals for the title, Panathinaikos and Olympiakos, were due to square up against each other late on Sunday.

The Reds were looking to shake off the disappointment of being dumped out of the Champions League by Anorthosis Famagusta of Cyprus last week but did not start Saturday’s game convincingly.

In fact, the Piraeus club went in at half time a goal down after the visitors were awarded a first-half penalty when Christos Patsatzoglou fouled in the area. Danijel Cesarec slotted away the penalty to give Asteras, one of the surprise packages of last season, the lead.

Olympiakos, with a number of summer signings, including Brazilian striker Diogo, making their Super League debuts, picked up its game in the second half and piled the pressure on Asteras.

The side from the Peloponnese was only able to hold out until the 61st minute when Argentinean midfielder Luciano Galleti unleashed a powerful shot from outside the area that flew into the corner of Giorgos Abaris’s net.

Two minutes later, Olympiakos was in front. The home side was awarded a penalty when Diogo was brought down in the area. Galleti stepped up and stroked the penalty home for a 2-1 lead.

The Reds wrapped up the points through veteran Serbian striker Darko Kovacevic in the 82nd minute when he latched onto a long ball from Didier Domi.

The win eases the pressure on Olympiakos’s new coach Ernesto Valverde who joined the club from Espanyol in the summer. The Spaniard praised the support the team received from the fans despite the disappointment of its Champions League exit during the week, before demanding consistency from his team.

“The best way to win a game is to play well,” he said. “Our aim will always be to win and to do that, you have to play well in defense and attack.”

With the three points in the bag, Valverde’s attention most likely turned to the Athens derby last night.

Panathinaikos went into the game as favorites but AEK was boosted by Saturday’s signing of one of last season’s top goalscorers, Rafik Djebbour, from Panionios. The 24-year-old signed a three-year contract with the Yellows. The size of the transfer fee was not revealed.

In Saturday’s two other games, Cretan side Ergotelis defeated newly promoted Panthrakikos 2-1 and PAOK beat Crete’s other Super League team, OFI, 2-0.

In Sunday’s other games it was Aris that dominated Levadiakos 2-0 while Iraklis was defeated by Panserraikos 1-2 as was Panionios by Xanthi 0-1 .

Larissa was hosting Athens side Thrasyvoulos Fylis late last night.