Lamia ousts Panathinaikos from Cup, OFI crashes out to Ergotelis
Panathinaikos and OFI crashed out of the Greek Cup in penalty shootouts on Thursday, with Ergotelis becoming the only second-division team to sneak into the quarterfinal line-up.
Lamia eliminated Panathinaikos for a second year in a row at exactly the same stage, the round of 16. After winning 1-0 at home two weeks earlier, it held Panathinaikos to a goalless draw up to the 85th minute, and even after the Greens got that elusive goal to take the tie to extra time the visitors defended well to force the shoot-out, which they won 4-2.
OFI got out of the tournament to crosstown rival Ergotelis in a very eventful second leg at Iraklio. With the first leg at 1-1, Ergotelis led 1-0 away from home, OFI was left with 10 men but earned as many as three penalties, only to convert one of them. The game went to the shootout from where Ergotelis emerged victorious with a 4-3 score.
Holder PAOK thrashed second-division Panachaiki 5-0 at home on Tuesday to overturn its 2-1 deficit from the first leg, and Olympiakos saw off Xanthi 3-1 in Piraeus on Wednesday after a goalless draw in the first half.
AEK also beat Kissamikos Hanion 5-0 at home, and 6-1 on aggregate, and Atromitos beat Apollon Smyrnis for a second time, with a 2-1 score at home. Panionios defeated PAS Giannina 2-0 on Tuesday and 3-1 overall.
By far the most entertaining game was that between Asteras Tripolis and Larissa: The visitors had won 3-2 in the first leg at the AEL FC Arena and responded to Asteras’s 3-1 lead in Tripoli on Wednesday with two goals to equalize 3-3 on the night. Nevertheless Asteras managed to find the two goals it needed in the last 15 minutes to win 5-3, and advance on a 7-6 aggregate score.
The draw for the quarterfinals will take place on Friday.
