In a match with two different “faces” in both periods, Panathinaikos lost 0-1 in the home game against Aris Thessaloniki. The “Greens” were well below expectations during the first 45 minutes and were losing. In the second half, although the team stood better in the pitch, wasn’t efficient and so the Shamrock keeps on without the “taste” of a victory, after three matches for the championship.
The guests played much better during the first half and were happy to lead the score in the 35th minute, when Mancini, following a cross by Jeggo, overpassed Dioudis and sent the ball into the net. There were two more chances for the team of Thessaloniki, which was close to double its goals. Maybe the unique threatening moment for Aris, in the first half, was a shoot by Velez in the additional time, but Delizissis saved his team stopping the ball at the goal-line. It is important to mention that the guests should have stayed with ten players in the 31st minute, when the referee showed by error a yellow card instead of a red one to Rose as the latter marked Carlitos aggressively.
In the second half Panathinaikos improved its image considerably. Dani Poyatos’ players pressed their rivals, creating nice chances during the last thirty minutes, but weren’t able to take advantage of them – sometimes because they were wide of the target, like in the 67th minute with Aitor and some others due to bad luck, as Macheda, after an impressive shoot in the 79th minute, saw the ball reaching Aris’ crossbar.
The “suffocating” pressure of the hosts continued, though the score didn’t change till the last whistle of the referee. For Panathinaikos this was to be its second defeat in three matches for the championship and thus remained with just one point on the scoreboard.
Panathinaikos: Dioudis, Sanchez, Velez, Schenkeveld, Juankar, Κourbelis, Αlexandropoulos (71’ Serpezis), Chatziyiovannis, Bouzoukis (62’ Xavier), Αitor (71’ Μacheda), Carlitos.
Aris: Boucher, Sakic, Delizissis, Rose, Ganea, Jeggo, Matilla (81’ Sundgren), Μancini (60’ Sasa), Bertoglio (60’ Garcia), Gama (81’ Μanos), Lopez (90’ Bagalianis).
