Greens home hoodoo continues with Larissa loss
 

SUPER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 8

Panathinaikos are still searching for their first win at home in the Super League this season after they went down to a 2-1 loss against Larissa on Sunday on a frustrating afternoon for Giorgos Donis and his players.

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Goals from Radomir Milosavljević and Amr Warda gave Larissa a 2-0 lead at the OAKA in Athens, and although Ghayas Zahid pulled a goal back two minutes after the hour mark, the Greens could not find an equaliser.

The outcome was a fourth home match without a three-point haul for Panathinaikos, who are slipping out of the playoff picture fast unless they manage to steady the ship and get some consistency to their results.

Donis’ team, who were unlucky with two VAR decisions and wasted a clutch of glorious chances in the second half, are down in ninth place with just eight points collected so far, while Larissa move up to sixth spot with 12 points.

THE MATCH

After last week’s 1-0 away win at Atromitos, the stage was set for Panathinaikos to follow that up with a win today against what was essentially “lesser” opposition in the form of Larissa. Unfortunately, that is not the way it turned out.

The Vissini got themselves in front with their first attack of the match just 34 seconds in, when Milosavljević beat Panathinaikos goalkeeper Sokratis Dioudis with a stunning volley.

That was a sucker punch so early in the game for the home side, but the Greens recovered and began to put considerable pressure on the visitors. Argyris Kampetsis had a goal controversially ruled out after a VAR review in the 34th minute, for a foul by Christos Donis on Larissa ‘keeper Ögmundur Kristinsson, but the decision looked harsh.

Before that the Greens also had an effort cleared off the line by Larissa defender Vangelis Moras with Kampetsis the player to shoot on goal, and the teams went in at half-time at 0-1.

In the second half PAO were the dominant side by far, but with Kristinsson in irresistible form they could not find a route to goal and then somehow found themselves 2-0 down after 57 minutes.

This time it was Warda who did the damage following a mistake from PAO defender Ilias Chatzitheodoridis, the Egyptian slotting home past a helpless Dioudis.

The OAKA was stunned into silence at that point but the reaction from the home players was instant, with Zahid reducing the deficit two minutes after the hour mark with a powerful, measured finish.

After that it was all one-way traffic as PAO laid siege to the visitors’ goal. Larissa were also very lucky not have Warda sent off for a bad foul on 65 minutes. Instead the Larissa midfielder was only shown a yellow card and went on to play his part in a backs-to-the-wall effort to keep out the Greens for the remainder of the match.

STARTING LINEUPS

Panathinaikos: 1 Dioudis (GK), 5 Schenkeveld, 8 Donis, 10 Zahid, 11 Chatzigiovanis, 12 Chatzitheodoridis, 16 Apostolakis, 18 Bouzoukis, 21 Kourbelis, 44 Pougouras, 99 Kabetsis

Larissa: 1 Kristinsson (GK), 5 Mihail, 7 Warda, 8 Milosavljevic, 9 Dauda, 18 Moras, 22 Secerovic, 25 Bertos, 26 Kace, 28 Bralic, 88 Stankovic

HIGHLIGHTS

by Graham Wood

Image Source: sportfm.gr

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