SPORTS

Cisse saves the Greens

French striker Djibril Cisse saved the day for Panathinaikos deep into injury time and kept the Greens in the top spot of the soccer Super League with a 2-2 draw in Kavala last night. A terrible performance by Panathinaikos in the first half saw Kavala lead 2-0, both goals coming from Nigerian Benjamin Onwuachi. In the second half, the improved Athens team scored with Costas Katsouranis before Cisse celebrated his fourth goal of the season to keep the Greens level on points with Olympiakos. The Reds had defeated visiting Asteras Tripolis 3-0 on Saturday, through goals by Olof Mellberg, Kostas Mitroglou and Jaouad Zairi. Kavala thus became the only team which Panathinaikos and Olympiakos have failed to beat. In the weekend’s other games, PAOK downed PAS Yiannina 2-0 at home, Ergotelis and Aris shared a goalless draw in Crete, Larissa defeated Xanthi 2-0 at home and Atromitos thrashed visiting Levadiakos 3-0. Panionios scored a morale-boosting 2-0 win at Iraklis. Late last night, AEK, which was 12 points off the pace with a game in hand, was hosting Panthrakikos. The Athens side led 2-1 at half-time. Panathinaikos and Olympiakos top the league table after seven games with 19 points, with Aris, Ergotelis and PAOK joint third with 12 points. Asteras Tripolis and Kavala follow with 11 points. Champions League Attention is now turning to the European games of the Greek sides, with Olympiakos tomorrow entertaining Belgian champion Standard Liege. Victory for the Greeks will make them firm favorites for qualification to the next round, as they already have three points after two games. Standard has just one, along with Dutch side Alkmaar. Arsenal tops the pool with six points. On Thursday, AEK visits BATE Borisov in Belarus and Panathinaikos hosts Sturm Graz of Austria for the Europa League.

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