Olympiacos see off AEK to go back on top
 

SUPER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 8

Olympiacos took the honours and bragging rights after a tightly-contested derby on Sunday, defeating AEK 2-0 at the Georgios Karaiskakis in Piraeus to reclaim top spot in the Super League ahead of PAOK by two points.

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Defender Ruben Semedo prodded Olympiacos in front after nine minutes to give the Thrylos the early advantage, and Mady Camara fired in a second with 13 minutes to go as Pedro Martins’ side continued their unbeaten start to the campaign.

Youseff El Arabi also had a goal chalked off in the 26th minute for handball after a VAR review, while AEK also enjoyed their fair share of chances and threatening moments, but Nikos Kostenoglou’s team struggled for ideas without injured captain Petros Mantalos and ended up coming away with nothing.

Olympiacos are now top of the standings with 22 points after eight matches, with PAOK second on 20 points and surprise-package OFI Crete are third with 16 points. AEK are down in fifth spot with 14 points.

THE MATCH

Both teams came into this derby clash with a point to prove. Olympiacos to reinforce their dominant form and reclaim top spot having been displaced by PAOK on Saturday, and AEK looking to stage an upset to show that they have turned a corner.

But after the atmosphere cleared following the smokebombs and flares which were set off when the players entered the pitch and the match got underway, it was the hosts who started strongest, launching raids down the flanks. And it was from one such foray that the hosts got the breakthrough.

El Arabi fed the overlapping Soudani, and he clipped a shot over the advancing AEK goalkeeper Panagiotis Tsintotas. The ball was heading wide but Semedo had followed through and was at the back post just in time to direct the ball into the net. There were shouts from AEK for offside but the goal passed a VAR review.

AEK then enjoyed a purple patch from the 16th minute to the 21st when they had three half-chances to score. First Nelson Oliveira stung the palms of Olympiacos goalkeeper Jose Sa from an acute angle, before Helder Lopes failed to control the ball when released by Christos Alpanis.

The Kitrinomavri continued to press high up the pitch and Marko Livaja sent Milos Deletic through down the right channel. He held off a defender before firing a shot from a tight angle which Sa was equal to and parried for a corner.

After the half-time break AEK were beginning to get more of the ball and began to find more space behind the Olympiacos defence, but without a playmaker like injured skipper Mantalos pulling the strings, their final ball was not up to the required standard.

Chances were few and far between in the second 45 minutes, but Olympiacos threatened twice in the space of three minutes after the hour mark. First on 66 minutes Daniel Podence teed up Camara but the midfielder’s shot was parried to safety comfortably by Tsintotas. Then shortly afterwards Camara once again fired a shot on goal, but Tsintotas was on hand to produce another competent save.

Although they were enjoying some quality possession from that point onwards, AEK struggled to create scoring chances, and they were made to pay on 77 minutes when Camara finally found the back of the net.

The 22-year-old Guinean hit the jackpot third time lucky with a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area which nestled in the top right corner of Tsintotas’ goal to make it game, set and match to the home side.

STARTING LINEUPS

Olympiacos: 1 Sa (GK), 21 Tsimikas, 3 Semedo, 34 Papadopoulos, 14 Elabdellaoui, 8 Guilherme, 4 Camara, 5 Bouhalakis, 2 Soudani, 10 Podence, 11 El-arabi

Aek: 16 Tsintotas (GK), 3 Lopes, 19 Chygrynskyy, 21 Vranjes, 2 Bakakis, 8 Simoes, 25 Galanopoulos, 14 Albanis, 10 Livaja, 11 Deletic, 18 Oliveira

HIGHLIGHTS

by Graham Wood

Image Source: sportfm.gr

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