csconstantine.com

ATHENS, Greece (AP)—Olympiakos scraped a 1-0 win over visiting Xanthi after an own goal by defender Olubayo Adefemi on Sunday, maintaining a seven-point lead over defending Greek champion Panathinaikos.

Ten-man Panathinaikos won 1-0 at PAOK to move 13 points clear of its third-place rival.

Also Sunday, Volos beat Atromitos 2-0, Ergotelis defeated Panionios 2-0 and Kavala downed Kerkyra 1-0.

Olympiakos attacked from the start but it was Xanthi which missed the first scoring chance in 16th minute when Christopher Katongo dribbled past two defenders and shot from the edge of the area, only to be denied by goalkeeper Urko Pardo.

Ten minutes later, Albert Riera’s free kick found Francois Modesto inside Xanthi’s area but the latter’s header bounced off Xanthi’s crossbar.

The hosts scored their only goal seconds before halftime. Vassilis Torossidis crossed from the right, David Fuster rose to head the ball and Adefemi, attempting to defend, pushed the ball into the net.

In the 60th, Riera found Torossidis inside the area but Xanthi goalkeeper Michael Gspurning blocked the shot with his legs.

Gspurning also had to intervene in the 77th when he jumped and palmed away a long lob by Ariel Ibagaza.

Xanthi nearly equalized in injury time, but Pardo rushed out of his goal to meet the charging Adefemi at the edge of his area and kick the ball away.

In Thessaloniki, Panathinaikos took the lead in the 10th minute through Sotiris Ninis’ curling free kick and had to fend off PAOK’s continual attacks for the rest of the game.

The hosts missed their best chance in the 37th when Vieirinha’s long-range shot hit the crossbar.

The defending champion was forced to play a man short for the whole second half after Nikos Spyropoulos saw a yellow card in the 43rd. PAOK was unable to capitalize on its superiority despite having eight shots on goal to Panathinaikos’ none.

PAOK also ended the game a man short after Pablo Contreras was dismissed in the 74th.

Panathinaikos’ only second-half foray into PAOK’s area came in the 88th, when Gilberto Silva’s through ball sent Costas Katsouranis alone with goalkeeper Costas Halkias, but Katsouranis shot wide.

Labels: beats, leads, Olympiakos, points, Xanthi