Big four still in race for Greek Cup

Six clubs have advanced to the next round of the Greek Cup. AEK, Panathinaikos, Olympiakos, PAOK, Olympiakos Volou and Atromitos all advanced by winning their respective matches last week.

Iraklis and Kerkyra and Ethnikos Asteras and Diagoras drew their matches and will need to go to a replay in the new year.

AEK vs Larissa

AEK became the sixth team to advance to the quarterfinals of the Greek Cup on Thursday through a 4-0 triumph at Larissa. The Ethnikos Asteras vs Diagoras and Iraklis vs Kerkyra ties will go to replays next month.

AEK badly needed a victory to come out of the crisis the recent results in the league and in Europe had plunged them into, and got exactly that at the AEL FC Arena.

Ismael Blanco gave AEK the lead at the 38th minute although his goal was suspicious for offside.

Defender Nikos Georgeas made it 2-0 at the 53rd thanks to a wonderful pass by veteran Nikos Liberopoulos for his first ever goal for AEK in his 10 years at the club.

Raffik Djebbour wrapped it up at the 76th with a header from a Nacho Scocco corner.

Another defender, Costas Manolas thundered the ball into the net at the 86th minute to complete Larissa’s routing, their third defeat in as many games at their new ground.

Iraklis vs Kerkyra

Iraklis and Kerkyra played out a 1-1 draw in Thessaloniki and will meet again at Corfu.

Thanassis Tsingas gave Kerkyra the lead at the 79th, although he seemed to control the ball with his arm before scoring, and Romanian striker Viktoras Jacob equalised for Iraklis at the 86th from the penalty spot.

Ethnikos Asteras vs Diagoras

The all-second-division tie between Ethnikos Asteras and Diagoras also finished 1-1.

Mamary Traore headed the ball in at the 74th the hosts at Kaisariani, but Petros Zouroudis gave the answer for Diagoras from a direct free kick two minutes later.

Both replays are scheduled for January 12. The draw for the quarterfinals as well as the semifinals will take place on December 29.

Olympiakos vs Asteras

The Reds saw off Asteras 1-0 at Tripoli thanks to a late Ariel Ibagaza goal, even though they were down to 10 men.

Olympiakos dominated play in the first half and were less impressive in the second.

They saw their defender Olof Mellberg get sent off 12 minutes from time due to a second bookable offence.

Yet they grabbed their winning goal at the 86th minute thanks to a great run from the right by substitute Jaouad Zairi, a former Asteras Tripolis player.

He went as far as the goal line before cutting the ball inside to the path of Ibagaza, who thundered the ball into the Asteras net.

PAOK vs Yiannina

Facing the club that eliminated them last year, PAOK got their revenge this time, beating second-division PAS Yiannina 2-1 at Toumba Stadium.

The hosts led from the third minute through an own goal by Vanderson Scardovelli: It was a howler by PAS goalkeeper Giorgos Sikalias, who misjudged the back pass of his defender.

Stefanos Athanasiadis made it 2-0 at the 43rd minute following a wonderful team move by Pablo Contreras, Adelinho Vieirinha and Dimitris Salpigidis.

The visitors pulled one back at the 53rd through former PAOK and Everton striker Ibrahima Bakayoko. He came close to equalising seven minutes on, but PAOK keeper Costas Chalkias maintained PAOK's lead.

Panathinaikos vs Trikala

Panathinaikos beat second-division side Trikala 3-2 behind closed doors at the Olympic Stadium continuing their string of mediocre performances.

The game saw little action until the 43rd minute, when an Ivan Rusev shot for Trikala pulled a great save from Panathinaikos keeper Orestis Karnezis.

This served as a wake-up call for the Greens, who scored at the 44th through a Sotiris Ninis left-foot shot from just outside the area, followed by a Sebastian Leto strike a minute later from the left that beat Trikala keeper Thanassis Tolios.

Trikala reduced the arrears in first-half injury time through a Vangelis Kontogoulidis tap-in from close range after a Kristo Telkinski shot.

Loukas Vyntra made it 3-1 from two metres away at the 68th following a Leto corner as Tolios clashed with one of his defenders.

Two minutes later Panayiotis Korbos beat the offside trap of the Panathinaikos defence from a clever through ball by Yiannis Christou to take the score to 3-2.

Olympiakos Volou vs Panserraikos

Fresh from beating Panathinaikos in Athens for the Super League, Olympiakos Volou defeated visiting Panserraikos 2-0 through two goals by striker Ilias Solakis.

The veteran forward scored both goals in the second half after crosses by Argentine midfielder Javier Umbides.

Nine minutes from the restart Solakis headed in an Umbides cross, while another nine minutes later he made the score 2-0 to take the game beyond the Serres club.

Atromitos vs Kavala

At Peristeri an Emanuel Perrone penalty saw Atromitos beat Kavala 1-0 at home after a rather dull game.

Kavala were the better side in the first half but five minutes into the second their defender Lazaros Theodorelis upended Perrone in the box.

The Argentine took the penalty at the 51st minute beating goalkeeper Mario Galinovic for the game's only goal.

He could have stretched Atromitos's lead further seven minutes later, but his shot went wide.