Three clubs tied for first place
Ilias Kotsios grabbed a second-half goal yesterday as OFI defeated AEK on Crete. AEK’s loss, its first of the season, left it with 13 points after six games. It shares the top place with Panionios and Iraklis. Iraklis beat Aegaleo 2-0 away and Panionios defeated Ioannina, also 2-0, at home. In the round’s other major upset, defending champion Olympiakos played to a goalless home draw against Proodeftiki. The draw dropped Olympiakos to fourth place in the 16-team standings with 12 points. Panathinaikos took advantage of the poor results by Olympiakos and AEK with a 3-0 away victory against Panachaiki. It is now four points behind the leaders, in ninth place. In other action yesterday it was: Aris 1, Xanthi 1 and Akratitos 1, PAOK 3. On Saturday, Ionikos beat Kallithea 1-0. OFI, pursuing its first win in the league, charged forward from kickoff, nearly scoring in the 23rd minute when a header from Costa Rican forward Ronald Gomez sailed over Dionysis Chiotis’s crossbar. Two minutes later, the AEK keeper made a fingertip save to a shot by Mauricio Solis. AEK came close to scoring in the 39th with Vassilis Lakis, whose shot hit the right post. In the 41st, it was Yugoslav striker Ilja Ivic’s turn to have a shot rebound off the crossbar. The game’s only goal came in the 55th minute when Gomez passed to Kotsios who easily beat Chiotis from close range. The game was played behind closed doors as punishment for fan violence in a previous league match on Crete. Disorganized and out of focus, Olympiakos dropped two more points when it played to a goalless home draw against Proodeftiki. There were few scoring chances in the game with the visitors’ tight marking playing a key role. The Piraeus squad squandered several scoring chances, while Proodeftiki keeper Thanassis Kois made two spectacular saves to deny the defending champions. Caretaker coach Yiannis Kollias was on the Olympiakos bench, while the club’s new Slovenian manager, Srecko Katanec, watched the match from the stands. In Patras, Panathinaikos had no difficulty in beating last-placed Panachaiki. Giorgos Karagounis gave Panathinaikos the lead with a free kick from outside the area in the 10th minute and Pantelis Constantinidis made it 2-0 in the 34th. Karagounis scored again in the 90th minute. (AP)
