Galletti Strike Gives Olympiakos Narrow Derby Victory Over AEK

A fifth minute finish from the Argentine scoring machine gave Valverde's men a priceless win in Athens...

Feb 1, 2009 6:56:44 PM

Greek Super League: AEK - Olympiakos (INTIME)

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Greek Super League: AEK - Olympiakos (INTIME)

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Olympiakos maintained their lead at the top of the Greek Super League table with a 1-0 derby win over AEK Athens at the OAKA Spiros Louis Stadium on Sunday, taking yet another step towards defending their domestic title.

A 5th minute strike by Argentine Luciano Galletti was enough for Ernesto Valverde's men to escape with three points despite a battling performance by Dusan Bajevic's AEK Athens, the home side having wasted a number of first half chances during a match that they dominated for large spells.

It is the first defeat suffered by AEK under their Serb manager this season, as they fell six points behind second-placed PAOK and five behind third-placed Panathinaikos.

First Half

The visitors raced into the lead to silence a strong crowd at the OAKA Spiros Louis Stadium, top-scorer Luciano Galletti netting his tenth goal of the season.

Brazilian striker Diogo had initially showed good strength and awareness to slip the Argentine winger into space outside the area, from where he stole a yard on his marker before beating Sebastian Saja at his near-post with a low first-time effort.

Ernesto Valverde’s men should have doubled their lead three minutes later, on-loan Liverpool winger Sebastian Leto sending an low angled ball into the penalty area from the left hand side.

Diogo’s first-time effort was initially kept out by a desperate Juanfran sliding challenge before Saja smothered the subsequent shot from close range.

Though the Piraeus side had dominated the opening stages of the match, AEK immediately responded with an effort of their own, Rafik Djebbour finding space in the area but seeing his low effort saved at an angle by former Greece international Antonis Nikopolidis.

The 38 year-old derby veteran then flew to his right to stop a Sotiris Kyrgiakos header barely sixty seconds later before the domineering centre-back bailed out defensive partner Daniel Majstorovic with a last-ditch challenge on Diogo in his own penalty area.

A refreshingly open start to the derby set the stage for AEK to begin to monopolize goal-scoring opportunities, Nikopolidis forced into a variety of saves as his back-line gradually were forced deeper by Dusan Bajevic’s men.

The lively Nacho Scocco saw a driven effort from outside the area saved by the ‘keeper, before the Argentine crossed for fellow countryman Ismael Blanco on 17’ minutes, the Greek Super League top scorer flashing an acrobatic effort wide from barely six yards out.

Ex-Olympiakos man Pantelis Kafes then rose to head a Scocco corner over the bar on 24’ minutes before Blanco wasted another wonderful opportunity, flicking his header over the bar after finding himself completely unmarked from close range.

Nikopolidis’ final meaningful save of the half arrived in the 28th minute as he palmed over a driven Ismael Blanco effort following an incisive run into the box by the striker.

For all their territorial dominance though, AEK went into the half-time break down a goal thanks largely to the exploits of the man between the Olympiakos posts.

Second Half

It was Pantelis Kafes who had the first effort on target of the second period, curling the ball towards the far right corner of the net only to see the effervescent Nikopolidis palm it away to safety with just under ten minutes of football having been played.

That attempt might have set a precedent for the rest of the second half, with AEK looking as though they would again heap pressure on their opponents.

However, it took them some time to find their attacking rhythm, Ismael Blanco hitting the by-line and crossing to the back-post on 67’ minutes where the outstretched Rafik Djebbour could only volley wide of the near post.

A quickly taken free-kick was almost the source of a goal for the Algerian in the 70th minute, though his deflected effort from the left side of the area was saved comfortably by Nikopolidis.

Despite committing extra bodies forward, AEK were simply unable to break down their opponents throughout the second half, the visitors in fact offering a sporadic attacking threat themselves, both Belluschi and Leto firing straight at Saja on separate occasions.

Luciano Galletti came agonizingly close to sealing victory for his side with just six minutes of normal time remaining, having beaten Sotiris Kyrgiakos with a sharp turn of pace inside the penalty area before sliding the ball just past Saja’s far post, before Diogo missed an almost identical chance moments later.

Olympiakos held on however to record a derby victory that takes them a step closer to defending their Greek Super League crown, as AEK fell to their first defeat under Dusan Bajevic this season.

AEK Athens 0
Olympiakos 1 (5’ Galletti)

Line-ups:

AEK Athens: Saja, Juanfran (25’ Alves), Georgeas (77’ Manduca), Majstorovic, Kyrgiakos, Pelletieri, Nsaliwa (62’ Edinho), Kafes, Scocco, Blanco, Djebbour

Olympiakos: Nikopolidis, Antzas, Papadopoulos, Domi, Torosidis, Dudu, Patsatzoglou, Belluschi (81’ Mendrinos), Leto (90’ Zewlakow), Galleti (85’ Djordjevic), Diogo

Chris Paraskevas, Goal.com

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