Seeking seven straight

Olympiakos closes in on Greek league title

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05-11 0685 BC-EU-SPT-SOC--Greek Roundup, 1st Ld-Writethru,0690 Olympiakos closes in on seventh straight Greek league title Eds: UPDATES to add violence by Olympiakos supporters in Piraeus

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Olympiakos Piraeus beat a disappointing Panathinaikos Athens 3-0 at home Sunday to take a major step toward winning the Greek first division soccer championship for the seventh year in a row.

Stelios Yiannacopoulos scored twice and Brazilian striker Giovanni netted another.

With just one round left, Olympiakos and Panathinaikos each have 67 points, but the Piraeus club is first with a better record in the two head-to-head league encounters this season.

Olympiakos plays at Xanthi in the 30th round -- in two weeks -- and Panathinaikos hosts lowly Akratitos. Olympiakos is now the strong favorite to take the title.

If both clubs end up with the same number of points, Olympiakos will win the championship. Panathinaikos beat Olympiakos 3-2 in the first match.

Strict security measures were in force Sunday to avoid a repeat of fan violence that erupted at a league match between the two teams last season when the referee was attacked and badly beaten after awarding Olympiakos a controversial injury-time penalty.

Despite the presence of more than 3,000 policemen in and outside the stadium, Olympiakos fans threw dozens of flares at Panathinaikos players as they attempted to get on the pitch to train before kickoff. Toward the end of the match, Panathinaikos fans burned and tossed plastic seats on to the pitch.

After the match, supporters gathered outside Panathinaikos' home stadium in central Athens, to protest at their team's poor performance. In contrast, Olympiakos fans took to the streets in and around Piraeus to celebrate the victory.

Later, authorities said police used tear gas to disperse a group of Olympiakos supporters who tossed gasoline bombs and rocks at them. The fans also damaged shops in the area and parked cars. Police reported two initial arrests but no injuries.

The match between the two "eternal rivals" was described as the most important league game in the last three years. It was played at the Rizoupolis stadium in front of 11,000 spectators, only 2,000 of whom were Panathinaikos supporters.

The clash was the 24th time Olympiakos has played Panathinaikos at home since professional soccer was officially established in Greece in 1980. Olympiakos is 9-11-4.

With goals from Costas Katsouranis and Dimitris Nalitzis, AEK Athens beat relegated Panachaiki 2-0 away to secure third place in the 16-team standings and a coveted spot in the Champions League qualification round.

Olympiakos controlled the match throughout, often turning it into a one-team show.

It charged forward from kick-off, scoring a third minute goal with a header by Brazilian striker Giovanni off a free-kick from midfielder Predrag Djordjevic. The early goal appeared to completely throw disorganized Panathinaikos.

In a rare chance for the visitors, Takis Fyssas squandered a good scoring opportunity in the sixth, heading over the bar from three meters (yards).

Lacking control and making many unforced mistakes, particularly in the defense, Panathinaikos let Olympiakos take a 2-0 lead with Yiannacopoulos in the 15th. He gained the ball in the area, went past a defender and scored with a calmly-placed shot.

In the 46th, Yiannacopoulos struck again right at the start of the second half.

The decision by Panathinaikos' Uruguayan coach Sergio Markarian to send on Cypriot Michalis Constantinou as a third striker produced no result. After the match, which has probably ended Panathinaikos' title hopes, Markarian described the game as a "tragic day" for Panathinaikos.

"Our opponents played better and they deserved victory," Markarian added.

In other games Sunday, it was: Iraklis 2, Kallithea 1; Aris 2, Ionikos 0; Akratitos 3, Ioannina 0; and Aegaleo 2, PAOK 3. On Saturday, OFI beat Xanthi 2-0, while Panionios defeated Proodeftiki also 2-0 to gain a berth in the UEFA Cup.

 

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