Kavala have blown the title race wide open with a shock 2-0 win at Panathinaikos, allowing an Olympiakos side inspired by Lomana Lua Lua to reduce the gap at the top to just three points after a 3-1 win at Asteras Tripolis.
The Greens went into the game with a comfortable six-point lead at the top and although newly-promoted Kavala’s progress has been impressive this season, the home side would have been expecting to pick up all three points.
The Super League’s top scorer, Djibril Cisse, almost got the leader off to the perfect start in the opening minutes but saw his close range volley come off the bar.
The Greens continued to create chances but it was the visitors that found the net in the 68th minute when some tricky wing play by Diogo Rincon, who was excellent on the night, set up Ebi Smolarek in the box and his first-time finish bobbled into the net.
Less than 20 minutes after scoring his first goal in the Super League, Smolarek notched up a second. The Pole was first to react to a cross and set Kavala on their first ever away win against Panathinaikos in top flight football.
With just five minutes left, PAO did not have time to react and slumped to their first defeat under Nikos Nioplias, in what was his 12th game in charge.
The result helped Kavala move up to seventh place with 30 points after 22 games whereas the Greens remained on 52 points.
They are just three points ahead of Olympiakos, who cruised past Asteras Tripolis in the Peloponnese with the help of two-goal hero Lua Lua.
The former Newcastle and Portsmouth striker showed he means business in his second spell with the Reds, opening his account with a fine finish after outpacing the home defence in just the fourth minute of play.
Ieroklis Stoltidis doubled the lead just four minutes later with a powerful shot from the edge of the area.
Asteras threatened to get back in the game when Eder scored in the 33rd minute but Olympiakos hit back seven minutes later when Lua Lua curled in a shot from just inside the area.
The Reds now have 49 points – just two more than PAOK in third. They will be hoping the Thessaloniki side will take some points of Panathinaikos when the two meet in northern Greece next Sunday.
Aris are in fifth on 35 points after a 2-1 win over Ergotelis during which USA international Freddy Adu scored his first goal in Greece.
The game had started well for the visitors as they opened the scoring through Beto after just two minutes. But Sergio Koke hit back for the Yellows just before the half-hour mark.
Adu, on loan from Benfica, got his goal in first-half injury time to set Hector Cuper’s men on their way. But it wasn’t easy for Aris in the second-half as Nacho Garcia was sent off on 58 minutes after picking up a second yellow card.
The two matches with interest for those threatened by relegation both ended in draw. Panionios and Iraklis fought out a 0-0 in Athens, leaving the visitors three points above the drop zone and Panionios four points away.
Levadiakos and Atromitos drew 1-1 with both goal coming in the final minutes. First, Giorgos Barkoglou put Levadiakos in front with just two minutes left but the home side dropped two vital points as Stelios Sfakianakis equalised in the second minute of injury time.
Levadiakos remain second from bottom with 20 points. Atromitos are in sixth on 20.
Ten-man PAOK got revenge over PAS Ioannina, who dumped the Thessalonica side out of the Greek Cup, with a 1-0 win in north-western Greece on Saturday that left the home team with real relegation worries.
Saturday’s Super League action also saw AEK beat a recently resurgent Panthrakikos 2-1 in Thrace while Larissa eased its relegation woes for the time being with a vital 1-0 win at Xanthi.
Giorgos Fotakis scored the only goal of Saturday’s game with a powerful shot from the edge of the area.
The goal came two minutes from half-time but the second 45 proved and uphill struggle for PAOK as they had Nikos Arabatzis sent off in the 63rd minute after he picked up a second yellow card.
It was sweet revenge for PAOK, who was thrashed 4-0 in the quarter-finals of the cup at Ioannina just two weeks ago.
AEK meanwhile, continued its post-Christmas resurgence as it notched up their first away win outside of Athens at basement boys Panthrakikos.
Nacho Scocco led the way for the ‘Dikefalo’ with an 11th minute cracking solo goal.
The Argentine pounced on a loose ball near the halfway line and proceeded to steam into the heart of the Panthrakikos defence, unleashing an unstoppable shot.
Dutch midfielder Youssouf Hersi made it 2-0 very early in the second-half, as he made the most of a failed clearance after a fine save from the host’s custodian.
Steve Belek pulled one back for the home side on 56 minutes but Panthrakikos were not able to build on their first wins of the season in the last two games. AEK are fourth on 36 points.
Larissa eased their relegation fears with a win at Xanthi courtesy of 41st minute goal from Jan Blazek.
Marinos Ouzounidis’s men are now 24 points, just one behind Xanthi in 10th place.