AEK drops second to PAOK after draw at Xanthi

PAOK is the new leader of the Super League after AEK dropped two points at nine-man Xanthi away on Sunday.

Host PAOK had an easy afternoon beating promoted Lamia 4-0 through an Aleksandar Prijovic brace and goals from Marin Leovac and Dimitris Pelkas.

The Thessaloniki team is on 15 points, one more than AEK that drew 1-1 at Xanthi, escaping defeat just two minutes from time: Ognjen Vranjes canceled out Brito’s opener after two of Xanthi’s center back had received their marching orders.

Atromitos and Levadiakos share the third spot on 13 points, after their 1-0 wins against nine-man Asteras Tripolis at Peristeri and against Panetolikos at Agrinio respectively.

In a thrilling game at Nea Smyrni on Saturday Olympiakos defeated Panionios 4-3. The host led with Srdjan Spiridonovic, but the first half ended with Olympiakos 3-1 up via goals from Pape Cisse and Karim Ansarifard (twice). In the last 10 minutes of the game Panionios equalized 3-3 through a Masoud Shojaei penalty and a Fiorin Durmishaj goal.

Yet the referee became the protagonist in the last few minutes of the match, by awarding a penalty to Olympiakos for the marking of Vangelis Economou on Costas Fortounis, with the latter giving Olympiakos the win from the spot, and by not giving a penalty to Panionios in injury time. The referee’s decisions provoked an ugly reaction by the Panionios fans who clashed with police after the game.

Olympiakos and Panionios are joint fifth with 11 points, one ahead of Xanthi and two of PAS Giannina that saw off Platanias Hanion 3-1 at home.

Apollon Smyrnis moved off the bottom after sharing a goalless draw with 10-man Kerkyra.

On Monday Panathinaikos greets bottom club Larissa.