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Late Drama Rescues AEK; Panathinaikos Sweep Aside PAOK To Go Second
It's a two-horse race for the Greek title.
| Bet: | Returns: | Udinese £15.71 | Draw £36.00 | PAOK £52.50 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Udinese £15.30 | Draw £34.00 | PAOK £55.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Udinese £15.71 | Draw £36.00 | PAOK £50.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Udinese £15.70 | Draw £37.50 | PAOK £60.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Udinese £15.50 | Draw £35.00 | PAOK £59.00 |
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Feb 8, 2009 9:48:26 PM
Panathinaikos emerged as Olympiakos’ nearest title challengers on Sunday following a 3-0 win over PAOK, as AEK Athens stayed within five points of third place with a dramatic 1-1 draw away against Larissa.
Henk Ten Cate’s men moved into second place courtesy of a headed double from Greece international Loukas Vyntra, though it was in Thessaly where there Dusan Bajevic’s AEK kept their hopes of UEFA Champions League football alive for next season with a late revival.
Late Drama At the Alkazar
Larissa, who found themselves going into their match against AEK in outright 5th place and on a nine match unbeaten run, did their best to impose themselves in the opening stages at the Alkazar.
Save for an early effort from Stelios Venetidis they found their opponents typically difficult to break down, a trait that has characterized Bajevic’s campaign this season.
In fact it was AEK who came closest to scoring with two Nacho Scocco efforts during the first half, the second of which was cleared off the line by Panagiotios Katsiaros.
Though both sides emerged for the second half with a clear intent to attack each other, it wasn’t until the final minutes of normal time that a fairly even encounter exploded dramatically into action.
Larissa took an 89th minute lead through a brilliant long-range strike by Giorgios Fotakis, the midfielder curling his effort into the top left-hand corner of Sebastian Saja’s net.
However, AEK responded just over a minute later through Rafik Djebbour.
The Algerian striker started the match up front for the Athenians despite having been a doubt through illness and produced a tidy low finish from Gustavo Manduca’s superb run and cut-back in the first minute of injury-time, securing for his side a crucial victory as they chase European football next season.
Pana Too Good For PAOK
At the OAKA Spiros Louis Stadium in Athens, recent Greece call-up Loukas Vyntra ended any realistic hopes PAOK had of a title challenge this season.
His double came in a superb second half Panathinaikos performance, after the Athenians had been largely frustrated by their visitors during the opening 45 minutes.
With top-scorer and talisman striker Zlatan Muslimovic on the bench, PAOK barely offered themselves as an attacking threat throughout the match, whilst Pana’s Poland international Jakub Wawrzyniak gave a solid second performance for his new club following his heroics in the Greek Cup in mid-week.
It took an error from PAOK ‘keeper Konstantinos Chalkias – who has been selected in Otto Rehhagel’s Greece squad to face Denmark on Wednesday - to open up the game early in the second half.
The 34-year-old came well off his line to punch away a Sotiris Ninis corner but missed the ball completely, allowing international teammate Vyntra to head into an empty net.
The centre-back hadn’t scored a goal all season long but doubled his side’s advantage barely five minutes later, finding himself unmarked at the back-post to head home Cleyton’s free-kick.
Two players who were perhaps slightly unlucky to have missed the cut for the Greece squad then combined to secure the three points in Athens, Sotiris Ninis turning his man brilliantly on the right flank before crossing to the near post where striker Evangelos Mantzios powered home a header from close range.
The win takes Panathinaikos into second place, 12 points behind fierce rivals Olympiakos.
Henk Ten Cate’s side now appear the only realistic challengers to the Piraeus club for the championship, with PAOK now having fallen 14 points behind first place with only nine rounds of the season remaining.
In the day’s other matches, OFI Crete grabbed a crucial 2-1 away victory in their relegation battle against Thrasyvoulos, Iraklis distanced themselves from the drop zone with a 1-0 win away against Ergotelis and Skoda Xanthi ended an unbeaten run that stretched back to Round 8 with an emphatic 4-0 home win over Levadiakos.
Chris Paraskevas, Goal.com
Henk Ten Cate’s men moved into second place courtesy of a headed double from Greece international Loukas Vyntra, though it was in Thessaly where there Dusan Bajevic’s AEK kept their hopes of UEFA Champions League football alive for next season with a late revival.
Late Drama At the Alkazar
Larissa, who found themselves going into their match against AEK in outright 5th place and on a nine match unbeaten run, did their best to impose themselves in the opening stages at the Alkazar.
Save for an early effort from Stelios Venetidis they found their opponents typically difficult to break down, a trait that has characterized Bajevic’s campaign this season.
In fact it was AEK who came closest to scoring with two Nacho Scocco efforts during the first half, the second of which was cleared off the line by Panagiotios Katsiaros.
Though both sides emerged for the second half with a clear intent to attack each other, it wasn’t until the final minutes of normal time that a fairly even encounter exploded dramatically into action.
Larissa took an 89th minute lead through a brilliant long-range strike by Giorgios Fotakis, the midfielder curling his effort into the top left-hand corner of Sebastian Saja’s net.
However, AEK responded just over a minute later through Rafik Djebbour.
The Algerian striker started the match up front for the Athenians despite having been a doubt through illness and produced a tidy low finish from Gustavo Manduca’s superb run and cut-back in the first minute of injury-time, securing for his side a crucial victory as they chase European football next season.
Pana Too Good For PAOK
At the OAKA Spiros Louis Stadium in Athens, recent Greece call-up Loukas Vyntra ended any realistic hopes PAOK had of a title challenge this season.
His double came in a superb second half Panathinaikos performance, after the Athenians had been largely frustrated by their visitors during the opening 45 minutes.
With top-scorer and talisman striker Zlatan Muslimovic on the bench, PAOK barely offered themselves as an attacking threat throughout the match, whilst Pana’s Poland international Jakub Wawrzyniak gave a solid second performance for his new club following his heroics in the Greek Cup in mid-week.
It took an error from PAOK ‘keeper Konstantinos Chalkias – who has been selected in Otto Rehhagel’s Greece squad to face Denmark on Wednesday - to open up the game early in the second half.
The 34-year-old came well off his line to punch away a Sotiris Ninis corner but missed the ball completely, allowing international teammate Vyntra to head into an empty net.
The centre-back hadn’t scored a goal all season long but doubled his side’s advantage barely five minutes later, finding himself unmarked at the back-post to head home Cleyton’s free-kick.
Two players who were perhaps slightly unlucky to have missed the cut for the Greece squad then combined to secure the three points in Athens, Sotiris Ninis turning his man brilliantly on the right flank before crossing to the near post where striker Evangelos Mantzios powered home a header from close range.
The win takes Panathinaikos into second place, 12 points behind fierce rivals Olympiakos.
Henk Ten Cate’s side now appear the only realistic challengers to the Piraeus club for the championship, with PAOK now having fallen 14 points behind first place with only nine rounds of the season remaining.
In the day’s other matches, OFI Crete grabbed a crucial 2-1 away victory in their relegation battle against Thrasyvoulos, Iraklis distanced themselves from the drop zone with a 1-0 win away against Ergotelis and Skoda Xanthi ended an unbeaten run that stretched back to Round 8 with an emphatic 4-0 home win over Levadiakos.
Chris Paraskevas, Goal.com
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