Big victory for Olympiakos
Pantelis Kafes scored a goal and set up two more on Saturday to send Olympiakos over Panionios 5-0 and stretch its winning start to two straight in the Greek first division. Ieroklis Stoltidis, Thanassis Kostoulas, Yiannis Taralidis and Aruna Babangida also scored for Olympiakos. Panionios rarely threatened the defending champions, which rested Brazilian star Rivaldo and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League match with Rosenborg. The match was played in an empty Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium due to crowd violence during a league game last season. Also, PAOK played to a 2-2 draw against visiting Atromitos. In other Round 2 games played yesterday, it was: Appollon Kalamaria-Levadiakos, 1-1; OFI-Xanthi, 1-1; AEK-Iraklis, 2-0; Ionikos-Panathinaikos,1-1; and Aegaleo-Akratitos, 1-0. Olympiakos had its first scoring chance in the 13th minute when Predrag Djordjevic’s free kick was headed narrowly wide by Cyprus striker Michalis Constantinou. Kafes put his team ahead with a powerful shot off a pass by Babangida in the 24th. The hosts made it 2-0 in the 47th when Stoltidis headed the ball home after a cross by Kafes. Kostoulas added another in the 54th minute, exploiting a defensive error to head the ball into an open goal. Taralidis made it 4-0 in the 59th with a low drive off a pass by Kafes, and Babangida scored the final goal in the 66th. Olympiakos coach Trond Sollied opted to rest Brazilian star Rivaldo and Yaha Toure for tomorrow night’s opening Champions League clash against Rosenborg. Olympiakos, drawn into Group F, will also meet Real Madrid and Lyon. Round two will be completed tonight when Larissa hosts Kallithea. (AP, Kathimerini)
