Panathinaikos see off Aris at the OAKA
SUPER LEAGUE PLAYOFFS - MATCHDAY 5
Panathinaikos had just too much quality for Aris at the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday, beating their Play Offs rivals from Thessaloniki comfortably 2-0.
Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage with Go Greek TV!
The Greens claimed all three points thanks to Dimitris Kourbelis’ first-half strike and a late goal two minutes from time from Dimitris Kolovetsios in a match which the home side never really looked in danger of conceding a goal.
It’s a result which means Panathinaikos move on to 50 points and are now within six points of third-placed AEK, who faced PAOK later on Wednesday, while Aris remain fifth with 38 points.
THE MATCH
The Greens welcomed Aris to the OAKA in a meeting of two teams which had experienced indifferent playoff campaigns thus far, with each side seemingly resigned to their pre-match positions in the standings (Panathinaikos in fourth place and Aris in fifth).
Aris were disappointing in a 2-0 home defeat to bitter rivals PAOK on Sunday and had a point to prove, while Panathinaikos also failed to impress in a below par display in a goalless draw with OFI Crete in Heraklion.
Panathinaikos did not make the most electric of starts, but neither did Arisfor that matter, and so the first 45 minutes was not a memorable affair. Chances were at a premium, with plenty of passes going astray.
Just as the match approached half-time, however, the home side finally broke the deadlock through captain Kourbelis.
The Greece international midfielder made a vital interception before striding forward. Seeing he had time and space to get a shot in, he tried his luck and beat Fabian Ehmann with four minutes to go to the interval.
Aris did not pose a threat in the first half, and they faded badly in the second as Panathinaikos finally woke from their slumbers and began to find their passes better and apply serious pressure on the visitors’ goal.
The Greens almost made it 2-0 after 50 minutes when Federico Macheda produced a fine piece of skill to work his way down the flank before crossing for Argyris Kabetsis in a good position. The young striker, however, fluffed his lines and hit the woodwork with his effort.
Kabetsis then had what seemed like a perfectly legitimate goal chalked off in the 58th minute following a VAR review amid protests from the Panathinaikos players and officials.
A second goal did finally come for the home side with two minutes left when Kolovetsios rose highest to head home a corner delivered by Giannis Bouzoukis.
STARTING LINEUPS
Panathinaikos: 71 Christogeorgos (Gk), 12 Chatzitheodoridis, 4 Kolovetsios, 5 Schenkeveld, 23 Theocharis, 20 Ayoub, 21 Kourbelis, 18 Bouzoukis, 9 Macheda, 99 Kabetsis, 11 Chatzigiovanis
Aris: 1 Ehmann (Gk), 69 Korhut, 92 Rose, 40 Bagalianis, 38 Bakoutsis, 26 Matilla, 88 Sasha, 18 Martinez, 16 Gama, 24 Mancini, 8 Duarte
