Olympiakos spared home loss to Platanias in Cup

Platanias became the first Greek team to avoid defeat from Olympiakos this season, drawing 2-2 in Piraeus on Wednesday for the group stage of the Greek Cup.

In fact it was Olympiakos, featuring many second-choice players, which avoided defeat to Platanias, as it only managed to equalize in injury time via Hernani, scorer also of Olympiakos’s first equalizer early in the second half. Platanias had led twice with Leonardo Ramos and Banana Yaya.

In this first round of group games when Super League teams faced each other in the four-team pools that also include two teams each from the Football League, Panathinaikos recovered from its 3-1 loss at PAOK for the league on Sunday to see off Levadiakos 3-0 at home, with Sotiris Ninis, Stathis Tavlaridis and Viktor Klonaridis on the scoresheet.

With Uruguayan manager Gus Poyet – formerly of Sunderland – already in Athens preparing to take over at AEK, caretaking coach Stelios Manolas led AEK to a 1-0 away win at Xanthi on Wednesday, through a second-half goal by Macauley Chrisantus.

PAOK needed the introduction of some of its top-pick players to defeat Panthrakikos 2-0 at home, goals coming from Dimitris Pelkas and Robert Mak.

Panionios beat Panetolikos at Agrinio for the second time within a few weeks. After its 4-0 league triumph, the Super League’s surprise package beat Panetolikos again, this time 2-1 on Wednesday.

In other games it was Asteras Tripolis 4 Kalloni Lesvou 0, Panserraikos 0 Kissamikos 0, Atromitos 2 Veria 2, Kallithea 2 Lamia 1, Apollon Smyrnis 3 Panaigialios 1, Kerkyra 1 Panachaiki 1, Zakynthos 2 Ergotelis 2, and Anagennisi Karditsas 0 Acharnaikos 1.

On Thursday PAS Giannina hosts Iraklis, Olympiakos Volou greets Hania and Panelefsiniakos meets Larissa.