Olympiakos red hot before Arsenal, Berbatov opens tally

Three days before its challenge at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal in London for the Champions League, Olympiakos appeared in great form against PAS Giannina on Saturday, while Panathinaikos stayed three points behind with a tight home win over Platanias, and Dimitar Berbatov opened his tally with PAOK.

Olympiakos thrashed PAS 5-1 at the Karaiskakis Stadium with strikes from Pajtim Kasami, Costas Fortounis, Alberto Botia, Jimmy Durmaz and a Themistoklis Tzimopoulos own goal. Andi Lila scored Giannina’s consolation.

The result has stretched Olympiakos’s perfect record to five wins in five games in the Super League, but its next game is at PAOK on October 4.

Panathinaikos, in second, needed a great swerving shot by Abdul Ajagun to beat Platanias 1-0. Its fans jeered at manager Yiannis Anastasiou on his way to the locker room after the final whistle, as the defeat to Panionios and the elimination from Europe have not been forgiven.

PAOK came from behind to beat Atromitos 2-1 at Peristeri late on Sunday, all goals coming in the last half-hour of the match. A spectacular shot by Javier Umbides gave Atromitos the lead, but Berbatov kneed the ball home for the equalizer, and Robert Mak scored the winner for PAOK on the 90th minute.

Panthrakikos secured its first point on the road courtesy of an equalizing goal by Frenchman Nicolas Diguiny on the third minute of time added-on at Panionios for a 1-1 final score, after Tasos Karamanos had given the Nea Smyrni club the lead.

Kalloni Lesvou led Panetolikos 4-0 after 34 minutes and eventually won 5-1 at home, while Levadiakos downed visiting Asteras Tripolis 2-1 and Iraklis drew 1-1 with Xanthi.

On Monday AEK travels to Veria.