Super League has ‘the best referees money can buy’
Olympiakos stretched its lead at the top of the Super League to six points after beating Asteras Tripolis on Thursday and Panathinaikos went down at Atromitos on Wednesday, but the Greens have huge complaints from the referee of the game at Peristeri.
The Reds faced the stiff challenge of Asteras at the Karaiskakis Stadium but overcame its resistance with a 2-0 win through goals by Chori Dominguez and Costas Fortounis. The Reds also have a game in hand over Panathinaikos.
The Greens suffered a 2-0 reverse at Atromitos, as Marcelinho gave the Peristeri club a first-half lead, and what Panathinaikos players and officials saw as a comical penalty decision allowed Javier Umbides to score a second goal before Christos Donis left the Greens with 10 men.
After the game Panathinaikos coach Yiannis Anastasiou refused to make any statements in protest, while his assistant, Englishman Steve Rutter said on camera: “I have been in Greece for a year and a half and I see the best referees money can buy.”
Panathinaikos also saw its appeal against the deduction of three points for the riots at the derby with Olympiakos rejected on Thursday.
PAOK cut the distance from the Greens to four points, as on the debut of former assistant coach Giorgos Georgiadis as the manager of the Thessaloniki club, substitute Dimitris Papadopoulos scored the only goal of the game for PAOK to beat struggling Ergotelis at home.
PAS Giannina entered the play-off spots as it has moved above Panetolikos into fifth. The team from Ioannina downed Platanias Hanion 1-0 on the debut of Giorgos Paraschos on the Platanias bench instead of sacked Yiannis Christopoulos, while Panetolikos suffered a 3-0 defeat at Xanthi.
OFI lost 1-0 at home to Panthrakikos on Wednesday, but on Thursday it won an appeal allowing it to play the game at Atromitos that had not taken place due to debts to former players.
In other Wednesday games, Panionios saw off Veria 4-2 and Levadiakos downed Kalloni Lesvou 3-0.
