Greens remain on top
Larissa earned its first point in the Super League playoffs yesterday, as it shared a goalless draw with AEK at home. The two points AEK dropped at the Alkazar Stadium are of little importance to the Athens side, as it can still snatch the top spot in the playoff mini-league with a home win over leader Panathinaikos in the last round of games this Sunday. Larissa was clearly the better side in the first half and earned a penalty in the 17th minute, when Dimitris Koutromanos brought down Facundo Para. The Argentine got up and took the penalty but sent the ball wide. The hosts had another glorious chance to open the score in the 39th minute, when Marcelo Sarmiento’s shot hit the left post of AEK goalkeeper Sebastian Saja. Stelios Giannakopoulos got on the rebound but his shot was disappointingly off target. However, the first half ended for the home team with the second yellow card to Walter Matias Iglesias for a foul on Rafik Djebbour. This allowed AEK to improve and be the better side in the second half, with Perparim Hetemaj hitting Larissa’s right post with his shot in the 69th minute. On the other end, Para missed another major goal-scoring chance three minutes later, when he placed the ball over the bar from just six meters after a Giannakopoulos cross. AEK put more pressure on the Larissa goal as time went on but its performance was not up to the standard of its last couple of games against PAOK. Eventually, the 0-0 result probably left everyone happy. Later yesterday, Panathinaikos hosted PAOK at the Olympic Stadium. At half-time Panathinaikos led 2-0. Regardless of the result, Panathinaikos continues to hold on to the top spot of the table with one more game to play and will need just a draw in the last match at AEK to clinch a spot in next season’s Champions League qualifying play. PAOK has also secured at least third spot.
