Leader’s winning stretch ends

Xanthi beats Olympiakos 1-0 to halt club’s record run; Piraeus team now nine points ahead

Vlassios Kazakis scored in the 56th minute Saturday to help Xanthi beat visiting Olympiakos 1-0, ending the defending champion’s record 16-match winning streak in the Greek first division.

Despite its third loss of the season, Olympiakos still leads the league by nine points.

Olympiakos has 63 points from 24 games, followed by AEK and Panathinaikos with 54 apiece.

Also on Saturday, AEK, playing away, thrashed struggling Kallithea 4-1 on goals from Vladan Ivic, Giorgos Alexopoulos, Emerson and Pantelis Kapetanos. Thanassis Tsingas netted Kallithea’s lone goal.

Playing yesterday, Panathinaikos registered its eighth consecutive league victory, a 3-1 home win against OFI.

In other first-division games, it was: Akratitos and Levadiakos, 0-0; Apollon Kalamaria and Ionikos, 2-1; and Iraklis and Aegaleo, 4-2.

Atromitos hosted Larissa late last night. The round will be completed tonight when Panionios greets PAOK.

Both Xanthi and Olympiakos got off to a sluggish start, but the Piraeus squad had the best chances in the first half through Pantelis Kaffes and Michalis Constantinou.

Chasing a berth in the UEFA Cup, Xanthi missed an excellent opportunity in the 53rd through Jacques Paviot, who broke free behind the Olympiakos defense but shot wide.

Three minutes later, Kazakis rose above two defenders to head home the game’s lone goal off a cross from Vassilis Torossidis.

Olympiakos besieged the Xanthi area in an effort to level, but the hosts fended off all attacks.

In its game yesterday, Panathinaikos performed solidly in the second half to overcome struggling Cretan club OFI.

Panathinaikos opened the scoring in the 38th minute when in-form striker Dimitris Papadopoulos slotted past the keeper from close range.

OFI rebounded immediately to equalize the following minute for a 1-1 score at halftime.

Just four minutes after the break, Papadopoulos scored his second to put his side ahead 2-1 after intercepting a header from teammate Nasief Morris.

From this point on, Panathinaikos took command of the match. The Athens club consolidated its lead in the 76th minute for the encounter’s final 3-1 score. Former Liverpool player Igor Biscan headed into the net from a Papadopoulos cross. (AP, Kathimerini)