PAOK strolls in Cup on Pablo Garcia’s return
Thessaloniki clubs had mixed fortunes in the Greek Cup games played on Thursday for the second round, as PAOK and Iraklis scored notable home wins, but Aris lost to minor opposition away from home. All games were the first of two legs.
The return to action by Uruguay veteran midfielder Pablo Garcia, an icon for PAOK supporters, was combined with a 3-0 win over Anagennisi Karditsas through goals by Giorgos Georgiadis, Zvonimir Vukic and Tomas Necid.
Iraklis, winner of the competition in 1976 but still languishing in the second division, downed Super League club Xanthi 1-0 courtesy of a late Dario Zahora header in the debut of German coach Reiner Maurer on the Xanthi bench.
Aris, on the other hand, lost 1-0 at Olympiakos Volou for its fifth defeat in six competitive games this season in all competitions.
In the day’s only game between two Super League teams, Platanias once again failed to win at home this season drawing 1-1 with Apollon Smyrnis.
Elsewhere, Kalloni Lesvou won 2-1 at Pierikos, Atromitos saw off Fostiras 1-0 away, OFI won at Kallithea by the same score, as did Panetolikos over Cassiope on Corfu.
Cassiope is a newly-promoted club to the second division that has merged with fellow Corfu team Kerkyra that got relegated from the Super league last season.
