17 February 2025

Olympiacos dominates Panserraikos to preserve first

The Piraeus giants made sure to avoid a disastrous upset as they made light work of Panserraikos to ensure their placement atop the ladder for another round.

Olympiacos beat the Serres club 0-4 away on Monday morning (AEDT) in the Greek Super League’s 23rd round, keeping them two points clear of the next best team on the ladder in AEK as a result.

The “red-whites” scored twice in each half with the standout of the first being star striker Ayoub El Kaabi, who bagged both goals.

The first came following his penalty kick that was saved by goalkeeper Panagiotis Katsikas, with the Moroccan guiding in the rebound (20′), while his second saw him score a header from close range (27′).

Midfielder Chiquinho found the third in the 53rd minute before winger Gelson Martins wrapped up the game with a goal in the 75th minute.

The victory keeps Olympiacos in first as they now prepare for two massive derbies against PAOK and AEK in the next two matchdays.

Panathinaikos maintained their five-point gap behind Olympiacos with a narrow 2-1 win over Volos at the “Olympic” Stadium.

The Greens pulled ahead in the 20th minute following a corner kick which eventually saw centre half Sverrir Ingason slide and knock the ball in on the volley for his club debut goal.

Midfielder Adam Cerin then made it two in the 55th minute with a beautiful strike from well outside the box into the bottom left.

Volos halved the deficit four minutes later via midfielder Juanpi Anor, though Panathinaikos held on to seal all three points.

PAOK has practically guaranteed their placement in the top four after destroying Lamia 7-0 at “Toumba” Stadium.

The Thessanloniki giants went into the break comfortable, scoring twice through marksman Mbwana Samatta (25′) and young playmaker Giannis Konstantelias (37′), and they then ran riot in the second period with five goals.

Konstantelias scored their first two of the second half to complete his hat-trick (51′, 59′) and his teammates Fedor Chalov (72′), Andrija Zivkovic (86′), and Shola Shoretire (90+2′) completed the demolition.

PAOK now sits six points clear of Aris with three rounds left, a great gap that will likely be more than enough to confirm a placement in the championship play-offs.

Panetolikos procured a 2-0 home win against Kallithea to significantly increase their odds of finishing in the fifth-eighth play-offs spots.

The Canaries mustered a great effort late into the clash, scoring in the 85th minute through substitute Andrews Tetteh before assuring the win right at the death through Facundo Perez (90+8′).

Levadiakos sealed a remarkable 4-1 home triumph over Aris to greatly strengthen their chances of avoiding relegation.

The “blue-greens” opened the scoring in the 21st minute via wing back Triantafyllos Tsapras before the visitors equalised soon after following an accidental header by defender Rodrigo Erramuspe into his own net (29′).

The second half belonged only to the home side as they found three goals.

The first saw Erramuspe make up for his own goal by scoring at the opposite end from a corner set piece (51′), with teammate Panagiotis Symelidis doubling their advantage minutes later (54′).

Substitute forward Fabricio Pedrozo wrapped up the contest with one final goal in the 80th minute, securing a victory that all but ends Aris’ aspirations of making the top four.

A late effort from Petros Mantalos rescued a 2-1 success for AEK against Atromitos at “Agia Sophia” Stadium, keeping them well in the hunt for the championship.

The hosts were stunned early as the Peristeriotes snuck in front, courtesy of a strike from forward Georgios Tzovaras (11′), though they composed themselves and levelled the game in the 32nd minute via winger Niclas Eliasson.

The game seemed destined for a draw when Enosi’s veteran playmaker stepped up and scored in the 90+4th minute, his first for the season and one that secured three points for his club.

OFI has given their hopes of a fifth-eighth league finish a massive boost after defeating Asteras Tripolis 2-1 at home, snapping their nine-game unbeaten streak in the process.

The Cretans went ahead in the 59th minute, thanks to forward Eddie Salcedo, before the Arcadians brought it level through captain Nikolaos Kaltsas’ headed effort (73′).

OFI summoned all their strength and produced an injury time winner (90+2′), with winger Thiago Nuss knocking in teammate Juan Neira’s cross with his head to take his team into the top eight.

Greek Super League Ladder

1-Olympiacos: 51

2-AEK: 49

3-Panathinaikos: 46

4-PAOK: 43

5-Aris: 37

6-Asteras Tripolis: 35

7-Panetolikos: 32

8-OFI: 30

9-Atromitos: 28

10-Levadiakos: 24

11-Panserraikos: 22