Panathinaikos wins, eyes Champions spot

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Panathinaikos beat PAOK 4-1 in the Greek league playoffs for European competition on Sunday, moving closer to a place in the Champions League qualifiers.

Giorgos Karagounis, Brazilian defender Gabriel, Dimitris Salpingidis and Antonis Petropoulos scored for Panathinaikos, while Ilias Anastasakos notched PAOK's consolation goal.

The win, combined with a 0-0 draw for AEK at Larissa, brought Panathinaikos closer to winning the four-team playoffs and gaining a berth in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League. Two other teams will play in the second-tier Europa League.

After five rounds, Panathinaikos leads with 15 points, followed by AEK with 12, PAOK with six and Larissa with one. Based on their regular-season standings, PAOK began the six-game playoffs with a bonus of three points, Panathinaikos with two, AEK with one and Larissa with no points.

Panathinaikos plays AEK and Larissa travels to PAOK in the last round next Sunday.

Panathinaikos controlled the game right from the start, although PAOK came close to opening the scoring when a shot by Argentina midfielder Ricardo Matias Veron grazed Panathinaikos' crossbar in the 22nd minute.

But Karagounis converted a penalty in the 36th, four minutes before Gabriel made it 2-0 with a thumping header from a perfect cross by Nikos Spyropoulos.

Salpingidis added a third from another cross by Spyropoulos in the 59th minute before Anastasakos pulled one back for PAOK. Petropoulos put the result beyond doubt though with Panathinaikos' fourth in the 88th minute.

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