Panathinaikos loses third game in a row and fans go on a rampage
Iraklis’s Brazilian striker Emerson Fofonka came off the bench to score a goal in second-half injury time on Saturday to salvage a 2-2 draw with Olympiakos Piraeus in Thessaloniki, on a day marred by fan violence. Angry Panathinaikos fans set fire to the stands at AEK’s Nikos Goumas Stadium after the visitors lost 1-0 and suffered their third straight loss. Panathinaikos, along with Ioannina and Panachaiki, remains without a point after three rounds. Minor clashes also broke out between fans of Iraklis and Olympiakos before the game, and the referee was hit by a stone during the match. In the round’s major upset, rookie Kallithea beat PAOK 3-2 in Thessaloniki with two goals from Theofanis Gekas. Yesterday, Proodeftiki drew with Xanthi 1-1 at home, ending in a four-way tie with Iraklis, AEK and Olympiakos, for first place, with seven points. Iraklis took an early lead with a goal by Polish striker Marciel Miecel off a cross from Heroklis Stoltidis in the second minute. Stelios Yiannacopoulos managed to level nine minutes later, shooting off a cross from Brazilian midfielder Ze Elias. In the 82nd minute, a free kick from Predrag Djordjevic found Brazilian striker Giovanni, who headed in Olympiakos’s second goal. Three minutes into injury time, Fofonka made the final 2-2 off a pass from Takis Gonias. In Athens, AEK scored the deciding goal four minutes before the end of the first half, when Ilija Ivic dribbled past two defenders and shot past Antonis Nikopolidis. AEK keeper Dionysis Chiotis made a spectacular save to a powerful shot by forward Michalis Constantinou in the 61st. Yesterday’s other matches: Aegaleo 3, Aris 0; Aktratitos 1, OFI 1; Ioannina 2, Ionikos 3; Panionios 2, Panachaiki 0. (AP)
