Olympiacos fight back to sink AEK in Piraeus
 

GREEK SUPERLEAGUE - MATCHDAY 21

Olympiacos fought back from a goal down to clinch a stunning Athens derby victory over reigning champions AEK as their Matchday 21 clash at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus ended in a 4-1 triumph for Pedro Martins’ side.

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An early strike from in-form striker Ezequiel Ponce gave AEK the platform to claim another famous win at this ground, but the Kitrinomavri wasted several good chances to extend the lead before Mady Camara’s second-half strike levelled matters.

Then with 18 minutes left, Thrylos captain Kostas Fortounis produced a moment of individual brilliance to put the hosts in front, pouncing on a mistake by Andre Simoes to go on a great run and score with a clinical finish.

The comeback was complete with some added gloss in the 83rd and 87th minutes when first Ahmed Hassan swept home from close range from Daniel Podece’s cross before Fortounis rounded Barkas for his second to complete the scoring.

That sealed a result which could be a significant one in the race for Greece’s second Champions League spot, since runaway leaders PAOK, who are unbeaten this season so far, have all but wrapped up the league title.

Second-placed Olympiacos are now eight points ahead of Manolo Jimenez’s AEK, who are third, with nine games to go until the end of the season.

THE MATCH

With the title race practically over, this battle between second and third was billed as the battle for Champions League football next season.

After 20 rounds, Olympiacos came into this match boasting a five-point advantage over AEK, with this match offering the Thrylos an opportunity to extend it to eight. However, given their recent history against AEK, they could not have been too confident.

And so it proved as AEK got off to a dream start in the third minute when Viktor Klonaridis intercepted a pass from Olympiacos defender Jagos Vukovic. The lightning fast winger surged forward and sent over a low cross which Olympiacos goalkeeper Jose Sa could only parry into the path of Ponce, who gleefully tapped home from close range.

It was the in-form Ponce’s 14th goal of what has been a superb campaign to date for the Argentine forward, who has manfully filled the void left by last season’s talisman Sergio Araujo.

The goal prompted a stunned silence among the Olympiacos crowd as AEK’s players gathered in jubilant celebrations to revel in their opening goal, with coach Manolo Jimenez pointing to his temples in a signal to the players to keep their heads.

Olympiacos recovered from that early and unexpected setback to take control of possession and they should have drawn level after 18 minutes when Kostas Fortounis picked out the run of Gil Dias with a superb curling cross from the right.

But Gil Dias, who rose highest between the last defender and goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas, headed over from six yards out when he really should have hit the back of the AEK net.

Then it was Fortounis’ turn to miss a good chance to score in the 22nd minute when he blazed over from seven yards from Hassan’s cross, although to be fair to the Greek international, the ball was played slightly behind him which made it difficult to wrap his foot around the ball.

AEK responded with a purple path of their own mid-way through the half, and Olympiacos had the brilliant reflexes of their goalkeeper Jose Sa to thank for keeping the score at 1-0.

Petros Mantalos squandered two golden chances in the space of two minutes for the visitors when he was first denied by a sprawling block by the Thrylos’ Portuguese custodian and then a flying save from a volley at the back post when it looked harder to miss.

AEK started the second half as strongly as they did the first and should have made more of a three-on-two counter attack and work an opening to make it 2-0 but Ponce delayed his pass far too much for Klonaridis and the chance was gone.

And the visitors were made to pay in the 50th minute when Camara scored to draw Olympiacos level. The 21-year-old Guinean midfielder was in the right place in the right time as the rebound from Daniel Podence’s overhead kick fell to him on the edge of the penalty area, and he sent a low drive past Barkas, who got a hand to the ball but could not keep it out.

Olympiacos were beginning to enjoy the lion’s share of possession as the second half wore on, but it was an error from Simoes which gave the ball to Fortounis, who needed no second invitation to dribble forward before beating Barkas with a powerful, measured finish into the bottom right corner.

The goal sparked a seismic eruption among the Gate 7 Ultras behind the goal as Fortounis celebrated wildly with his teammates.

There were more celebrations for the home players and fans with seven minutes left when Daniel Podence escaped the attentions of two AEK defenders down the right before crossing for Hassan to sweep the ball past a hapless Barkas, who conceded again four minutes later when Fortounis rounded him to score his second of the night and Olympiacos’ fourth.

STARTING LINEUPS

Olympiacos: 93 Jose Sa (GK), 21 Tsimikas, 26 Vukovic, 66 Cisse, 20 Meriah, 12 Guilherme, 4 Camara, 31 Gil Dias, 7 Fortounis, 56 Daniel Podence, 18 Hassan

AEK: 1 Barkas (GK), 2 Bakakis, 15 Cosic, 4 Oikonomou, 12 Galo, 95 Alef, 8 Simoes, 20 Mantalos, 10 Livaja, 17 Klonaridis, 22 Ponce

HIGHLIGHTS: OLYMPIACOS - AEK

by Graham Wood

Image Source: sportfm.gr

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