Panathinaikos scored a hard-fought win at Panetolikos on Thursday to close the gap from Super League leader PAOK to six points and to just one point from perennial rival Olympiakos.

The Greens scored their first win at Panetolikos in almost four decades thanks to an 81st-minute header by Croatian striker Mladen Petric from a Nano corner kick, for the game’s only goal. This was the fourth straight league win for Panathinaikos, climbing to third place.

While content with the 1-0 win, Panathinaikos has bigger fish to fry when it comes up against fourth placed Asteras Tripolis on Monday. Asteras is just two points shy of Panathinaikos in fourth place after defeating bottom team Niki Volou 2-0 away courtesy of goals by Tasos Bakasetas and Pablo Mazza.

The week’s catch up matches also provided a huge indication that Olympiakos’ reign might soon be over, as current league leaders PAOK upset the odds.

The Thessaloniki team defeated Olympiakos 2-1 in Piraeus on Wednesday to open a five-point lead at the top of the ladder and pose as a genuine challenger for the title for the first time in the last three decades.

The last time PAOK won the league was in 1984-85, and since then the Thessaloniki club has gone through tough times. But the resilience of PAOK and the uncharacteristic faltering of the Reds so far (this was their second defeat in 11 league games) may point to an exiting league race for the first time in years.

PAOK has another chance this weekend to boost its lead when it takes on Xanthi, a team that hasn’t been able to sustain much consistency. While it was able to force Kalloni’s second loss this season with a 2-1 score, its win- loss-win-loss hoodoo might be continued up against the league’s best.

Olympiakos will take on PAS Giannina on Sunday, hoping to dust itself off after its PAOK defeat. PAS Giannina is in much worse condition after an embarrassing 0-4 loss at home to 14th placed Levadiakos.

Levadiakos take on OFI, after the Iraklio team secured bragging rights with its 1-0 win over crosstown rival Ergotelis at home. A spot kick by Carlos Milhazes seven minutes into time added on gave OFI three vital points in front of the eyes of the Italian candidate investors that its coach, Gennaro Gattuso, brought over to Crete.

Source: Kathimerini