Kastoria stings Olympiakos in Cup clash
League front-runner Olympiakos, playing without most of its key players, lost 2-1 away yesterday to second-division club Kastoria in a Greek Cup first-leg quarterfinal clash. The home team opened the scoring after 16 minutes of play. Brazilian striker Dakol equalized for the Piraeus team in the 28th minute, but the determined second-division team struck in the game’s winner after 52 minutes. Olympiakos coach Dusan Bajevic opted to rest his usual starters in preparation of a demanding schedule, both domestic and European, in coming weeks. The Piraeus team meets English Premier League team Newcastle at home on March 10 for the first leg of a fourth round of a UEFA Cup tie. Before that, this Sunday Olympiakos will travel to Thessaloniki for what should be a tough Greek league encounter against rival PAOK. In another first-leg quarterfinal clash yesterday, Panionios and AEK played to a scoreless draw at the former’s Nea Smyrni stadium in Athens. The Greek Cup’s two other first-leg quarterfinals are scheduled for next week. Aris greets Apollon Kalamaria in a crosstown Thessaloniki derby on March 9, and, a day later, second-division team Larissa plays host to Xanthi.
