The bad losses that PAOK and Panathinaikos suffered on the road allowed Olympiakos to gain significant ground on the table and come to within one point from the top after the midweek set of Super League fixtures.

PAS Giannina, who had held Olympiakos to a 2-2 draw in Piraeus, dismissed visiting PAOK with 3-0 score with a remarkable display at the Zosimades stadium of Ioannina. Andi Lila, Nikos Korovesis and Michalis Manias were on target for PAS, with Manias receiving two yellow cards after scoring, one for taking his shirt off and one for kicking the corner flag away. PAOK now have to look towards their Monday match against Levadiakos to widen their range again.

Kostas Mitroglou confirmed his form improvement scoring both goals in Olympiakos’s 2-0 home win over Panionios, that saw the Reds close the gap. They are also making their plans for their Europa League future after Monday’s draw that has brought Dnipro of Ukraine on their way.

Panathinaikos failed to capitalise on PAOK’s defeat as it got thrashed 4-2 by Xanthi, with the hosts securing exactly the same score as against PAOK. The Greens lie third, five points off the pace.

Fourth-placed Asteras Tripolis also dropped points in Thrace, drawing 1-1 at Panthrakikos, while Veria is joint fifth with Xanthi after seeing off bottom side Niki Volou 2-0.

Gennaro Gattuso’s OFI was once again unable to win at home, drawing 1-1 with Kalloni Lesvou, under the eyes of the representatives of an Italian consortium that intends to acquire a controlling stake in the popular Iraklio club.

In other games, Kerkyra came from behind to beat visiting Ergotelis 3-1, Panetolikos downed Platanias 1-0 in Agrinio and Atromitos defeated Levadiakos by the same score in Peristeri.