A wonder strike from youngster Christos Mouzakitis has helped Olympiacos knock their archenemy out of the Greek Cup, securing a berth in the semi-finals where they now await AEK.
The Piraeus giants downed Panathinaikos 1-0 at “Georgios Karaiskakis” Stadium on Thursday morning (AEDT) in the second leg of their quarter-final tie, winning 2-1 on aggregate to stay alive in the competition.
The game was hard-fought with the “red-whites” the more dangerous of the two clubs without finding a breakthrough, though it was not until injury time that the match truly opened up.
Olympiacos was handed a golden chance to take the lead after defender Giulian Biancone won a penalty for them, with chief marksman Ayoub El Kaabi stepping up to take it.
The Moroccan stunned everyone when his strike smacked into the left post (90+2′) and away from the box, giving the Greens a huge reprieve.
The “Trifylli” created their best chance of the game right after, thanks to some dribbling brilliance from winger Filip Djuricic that brought him towards the left side of the six-yard box, though the Serbian ultimately sent his final shot wide of the target.
Panathinaikos would come to rue that missed opportunity minutes later when a late throw in from the right side was headed out by defender Sverrir Ingason towards Mouzoukitis, with the 18-year-old volleying the ball from the edge of the box into the top left (90+4′).
The goal sent the home faithful into a frenzy and the Panathinaikos side into despair, which was only amplified when the referee blew the final whistle soon after.
The result holds significance for many reasons as it not only sends Olympiacos to the semi-finals but also gives them their first victory over the Greens in ten clashes against them.
The Piraeus outfit will now face AEK in the semi-finals, who coincidentally eliminated them the last time they faced each other in the Cup two years ago at the same stage.
