OFI threatens Panathinaikos with Cup exit
OFI beat Panathinaikos and is threatening it with elimination from the Cup, while another second-division team, Anagennisi Karditsas held AEK to a draw in a midweek set of group stage games that had plenty of upsets.
While Olympiakos strolled to an easy 4-0 win at Hania on Thursday, goals coming from Esteban Cambiasso, Brown Ideye and Felipe Pardo plus a Pantelis Theologou own goal, Panathinaikos has got to the brink of crashing out of the competition.
The Greens led host OFI through Marcus Berg on Wednesday, but in the second half they crumbled to concede twice, as Angelos Hanti and Marios Ogboe netted for the Football League side that won 2-1 in Irakio.
The result, that also led to the departure of Panathinaikos manager Andrea Stramaccioni on Thursday, means that if OFI draws with Iraklis in the last round of group games – after Iraklis downed Apollon Smyrnis 3-0 for the same group on Wednesday – Panathinaikos will drop out of the Cup from the group stage.
AEK does not run such a risk, but its 2-2 draw at Anagennisi was not the result one would have expected. At nearby Trikala, PAOK also conceded a draw (0-0).
Aiginiakos, a second-division team from central Macedonia, forced the elimination of neighboring Super League team Veria beating it 1-0 away, while Kallithea managed to down Atromitos 1-0, just three days after the Peristeri side had triumphed 4-3 at PAOK for the Super League.
The week’s other results were Larissa 2 Panelefsiniakos 1, Platanias 1 Sparti 0, Agrotikos Astreras 0 PAS Giannina 1, Xanthi 3 Kalloni Lesvou 1, Aris 3 Asteras Tripolis 3, Kerkyra 2 Lamia 2, Panetolikos 1 Panthrakikos 0, and Levadiakos 3 Panserraikos 1
The game between Kissamikos and Panionios was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch on Crete.
