Goalless draw leaves title race wide open
Panathinaikos and AEK canceled each other out on Sunday their crucial game in the Super League playoffs finishing goalless and the title race remaining wide open with a slight advantage for the Greens.
AEK needed victory more than its host and produced more chances against the best defense in the league this year – that has only conceded once in seven playoff games to date.
AEK hit the woodwork twice in the first half with Steven Zuber, but could not find the target, unable to beat goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli.
The two Athens teams remain tied at the top, but Panathinaikos has the edge thanks to having finished the regular season first. Their result also means they have both clinched a place in next season’s Champions League qualifiers.
Olympiakos ended its losing streak with a 5-0 win over visiting Volos in Piraeus. Its scorers were Andreas Ndoj, Pajtim Kasami, Pep Biel, Cedric Bakambu and Youssef El-Arabi.
PAOK came from behind to beat crosstown rival Aris 3-2 at home in the day’s most entertaining match.
Aris led with Aboubakar Kamara, PAOK turned things around with Taison and a Stefan Schwab penalty, Aris equalized through Vladimir Darida before Andrija Zivkovic gave PAOK all three points.
The playoffs table now reads as follows: Panathinaikos and AEK have 76 points, Olympiakos rose to 66, PAOK climbed to 63, Aris has 47 and Volos is on 40.
In the playouts on Saturday, Levadiakos missed a great chance to take all three points at Panetolikos, as the host equalized 2-2 no fewer than 13 minutes into injury time. PAS Giannina is now out of risk with its 1-0 win at Ionikos, Lamia snatched a precious point at the goalless draw with Asteras at Tripolis, and OFI defeated host Atromitos 3-2 at Peristeri.
With two games left to play for the playouts, OFI has 37 points, Atromitos 34, PAS Giannina, Asteras and Panetolikos 30, Lamia is on 27, Ionikos on 25 and Levadiakos on 24.
