Greens are ‘winter champions,’ as Olympiakos falters
Panathinaikos is the so-called “winter champion” for a second year in a row, having finished the first half of the regular season on top with its 4-0 home thumping of OFI, but the eventful draw between Volos and Olympiakos will likely have more far-fetching consequences.
The Greens reached 31 points from 13 games on Sunday, having impressive Fotis Ioannidis score twice and set up another goal, while Aitor and Sebastian Palacios were also on the scoresheet.
Panathinaikos leads AEK by a single point, as the champion defeated visiting Aris 1-0 on Monday in Athens, thanks to a goal by Domagoj Vida.
PAOK is a further point behind, having downed Lamia 3-0 at home on Monday. Yiannis Konstantelias, Rafa Soares and Joan Sastre scored for the Thessaloniki team.
Volos and Olympiakos finished 2-2 on Sunday, in a game that very nearly got abandoned. Volos led twice with two penalty kicks, but Olympiakos, that had a numerical disadvantage for some 20 minutes in the first half, thought it had snatched victory twice in the second half, though its goals were disallowed.
Volos led with a penalty kick temporarily saved by Olympiakos keeper Alexandros Paschalakis before Panayiotis Moraitis slotted the ball in, but Ayoub El Kaabi pulled the Reds level from the spot. Juan Manuel Garcia put Volos in front again, only for an own goal by Alexis Kalogeropoulos to make it 2-2.
The match stopped in injury time due to Olympiakos fan action, and after 50 minutes it resumed for some 70 seconds only, with the players just passing the ball around in a soccer parody.
Olympiakos attacked the referees, the police (for the use of tear gas on fans), the soccer federation and the government, speaking of a” mafia state” in the Greek game. However it is threatened with a severe penalty as this was the second time its fans have wreaked havoc in a game, after the derby against Panathinaikos.
In other games over the weekend, Atromitos drew 1-1 with PAS Giannina, Panetolikos saw off Kifissia 3-0 and Asteras Tripolis overcame Panserraikos with a 1-0 result.
