PAOK clips AEK’s wings, sets up hot title race
PAOK came from behind to beat leader AEK on Sunday and set up a tense finish to the Super League playoffs, while Panathinaikos blew its chance against Aris and Olympiakos is now in with a chance of its own for the title. Meanwhile, Kifissia has been relegated.
In one of the season’s best games PAOK downed AEK 3-2 at Toumba to leave AEK still needing two wins in the two games left to play to win the league.
PAOK went ahead with Giannis Konstantelias, yet Orbelin Pineda equalized, both goals coming in the first 10 minutes. Fifteen minutes from the end Domagoj Vida put AEK in front, but PAOK scored twice in the last 10 minutes, through Konstantelias and Abdul Baba Rahman, to get back in contention for the league.
Panathinaikos, on the other hand, practically lost all hope of challenging for its first league title in 14 years, as it went down to Aris 1-0 at home to a Zamora goal.
Olympiakos has now got fresh hope for returning to the Greek throne, as it can win the title if it makes it three out of three in its remaining games, following its 4-1 thrashing of Lamia in Piraeus. Chiquinho, Fran Navarro, Daniel Podence and Sotiris Alexandropoulos were on target for the Reds. Zoran Tosic scored Lamia’s consolation.
Two rounds of games from the end of the playoffs, AEK has 75 points, PAOK and Panathinaikos are on 71, Olympiakos climbed to 70, Aris rose to 52 and Lamia stayed on 35. Crucially, PAOK and Olympiakos still have a game in hand.
In the playouts on Saturday the unexpected defeat of Kifissia by relegated PAS Giannina in Athens with a 3-2 score meant Kifissia is joining the Ioannina club on its way down to the second division.
Panetolikos and Volos are now safe after their home wins: Panetolikos defeated Atromitos 1-0 and Volos saw off Panserraikos by the same score. Asteras Tripolis drew 1-1 with OFI.
With one game left to play, Panserraikos, Asteras and OFI have 35 points, Atromitos stayed on 34, Panetolikos reached 33 and Volos 32, Kifissia has 28 and PAS Giannina 22.
