Dull Super League derby ends in Olympiakos victory
Olympiakos fans secured bragging rights over those of Panathinaikos for the next few months, as the Reds defeated their archrival 1-0 at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus on Sunday to leap to second at the Super League table, three points behind leader PAOK.
The Derby of Eternal Rivals was among the poorest in living memory, as the two teams appeared nervous (Olympiakos) and overcautious (Panathinaikos), for most of the game. Chances were few and far between, most of them for Olympiakos, and the derby was settled from a set piece in the second half.
It was just a minute before the hour mark that Chori Dominguez took a free-kick from the left and central defender Tasos Avlonitis headed in his first ever Super League goal one minute after coming on as a substitute.
Luke Steele upended Costas Mitroglou on the 78th to concede a penalty, but redeemed himself diving to his left and saving Mitroglou’s feeble kick.
The night before the derby about a dozen people arrived outside the premises of Skai television, that belongs to Panathinaikos president Yiannis Alafouzos, and brought a coffin bearing a large shamrock, the emblem of Panathinaikos. They then lit candles which they threw inside the coffin setting it alight before running away toward the nearby Karaiskakis Sradium. Security staff put the fire out in time.
PAOK remained top of the table thrashing Veria 4-1 at home, thanks to goals by Robert Mak, Dimitris Salpingidis, Ergus Kace and Stefanos Athanasiadis. Ben Nabouhane pulled one back for Veria, that has now dropped to third.
Italy veteran Gennaro Gattuso resigned from the OFI bench after the Crete team’s 3-2 loss at home to Asteras Tripolis on Sunday. He announced his resignation in the post-match press conference, firing parting shots at the club’s administration and its players.
Levadiakos and Panetolikos scored their first wins of the season, as the Livadia team downed Panionios 1-0 on Saturday and that of Agrinio defeated visiting Panthrakikos 3-1 on Sunday.
In other weekend games it was PAS Giannina 0 Kalloni Lesvou 0, Atromitos 1 Ergotelis 1, and Kerkyra 1 Platanias 2.
On Monday Xanthi meets Niki Volou.
