Six-point lead for Reds after PAOK downs Panathinaikos
A spectacular first-half performance by PAOK saw the Thessaloniki giant beat Panathinaikos 3-1 at home on Sunday in the most important game of the eighth round of Super League games, while leader Olympiakos overcame one more opponent on the road as it beat Atromitos 2-1.
PAOK put three past the league’s best defense within a quarter of an hour thanks to a Dimitar Berbatov penalty kick, and goals by Garry Rodrigues and Miguel Vitor. This was Berbatov’s third Super League goal, but upon scoring he pulled a muscle and got substituted.
The only thing Panathinaikos managed to do at Toumba was to score from the penalty spot through Nikos Karelis in the second half.
That result has allowed Olympiakos to stretch its advantage at the top to six points from Panathinaikos, after its victory at Peristeri. Two goals by Spanish central defender Alberto Botia gave the Reds a 2-0 lead before Serb Milos Stojcev pulled one back for Atromitos.
AEK is now two points behind Panathinaikos, in third, courtesy of an emphatic 5-1 home win over Iraklis on Saturday. Ronald Vargas netter twice, with Christos Aravidis, Elder Barbosa and Diego Buonanotte scoring one each. Apostolos Vellios tucked in Iraklis’s consolation. Next weekend AEK visits Panathinaikos.
Veria put an end to Panionios’s great run scoring the game’s sole goal at Nea Smyrn in the last minute of injury time. There were also away wins for Asteras Tripolis at PAS Giannina (2-1) and for Platanias Hanion at Panetolikos by the same score.
The games of Kalloni Lesvou with Levadiakos and of Panthrakikos with Xanthi finished goalless.
