Olympiakos opens up league lead

Christos Patsatzoglou scored one goal and Brazilian forward Diogo added another to help defending champion Olympiakos beat visiting PAOK Thessaloniki 2-0 and extend its lead at the top of the Greek league Sunday. Olympiakos has 23 points from 10 games, four ahead of PAOK and Xanthi, which drew 0-0 at Panthrakikos. Panathinaikos Athens is in fourth place, seven points behind Olympiakos.

The hosts controlled play from the start,but it was PAOK which squandered a major scoring opportunity when Patsatzoglou cleared the ball off the line to a header by Ibrahima Bakayoko in the 34th minute.

Two minutes later, PAOK's keeper Costas Halkias saved a blistering shot from Diogo.

Seconds before the end of the half, Patsatzoglou put Olympiakos ahead with a close range shot off a deep cross by Predrag Djordjevic.

In a melee in front of the Olympiakos goalmouth in the 72nd, Zlatan Muslimovic failed to level when Antonis Nikopolidis cleared. Diogo made it 2-0 with a header off a cross by Domi in the 86th.

In other games Sunday, it was: Levadiakos 2, OFI 1; Ergotelis 1, Thrasivoulos 1 and Panionios 0, Iraklis 2.

17.11.2008