Olympiacos stay invincible; PAOK shock Panionios

March 30, 2023

Christina Siouti of Olympiacos. Photo: Olympiacos SFP.

With just two match days remaining in the Greek League, the top-four teams seem to be set in stone. Olympiacos has dominated the competition and looks certain to take the top spot. However, the battle for second place is intense, with Vouliagmeni and Ethnikos locked in a fierce struggle. Glyfada currently sits in fourth place, with Alimos still mathematically in the race but facing long odds.

On Wednesday, the bulk of the action took place, with five games played. Alimos, Ethnikos, and Vouliagmeni cruised to comfortable victories, while Panionios suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of PAOK (9-7). Peristeri secured a late winner against Patra (10-9).

In tonight’s match, Olympiacos demonstrated their prowess with a well-deserved 18-12 victory over Glyfada.

2022/23 Women’s Greek League, Day 20

ANO Glyfada 12 – 18 Olympiacos (2-4, 3-4, 4-4, 3-6)
Glyfada:E. Karytsa, P. Ninou, T. Moustakaria, I. Wolves 3, E. Grigoropoulou 1, I. Ninou 4, E. Antoniadi, I. Kanellopoulou, I. Koolhaas 1, E. Fountontou, L. Katsoni, S. Kontogianni 3, K. Iliakopoulou, R. Kakaidi, A. Madenoglou.
Olympiacos: C. Diamantopoulou, E. Plevritou 2, S. Santa 3, N. Eleftheriadou 2, F. Tricha, E. Xenaki 2, C. Siouti 2, M. Plevritou, M. Papadopoulou, V. Plevritou 3, K. Christmas 2, M. Myriokefalitaki 2, I. Stamatopoulou, D. Drakotou, Z. Tjortzakaki.

Ethnikos 16 – 6 AEK (6-2, 5-3, 4-1, 1-0)
Ethnikos: E. Sotireli, A. Karampetsou 1, M. Borisova 6, V. Laskaridou, I. Kontoni 3, E. Beta, F. Chatzikyriakaki, A. Benekou 3, M. Rakitzi, E. Kanetidou, I. Benekou, C. Andrews, D. Bekri, E. Katsimpri 3, A. Klapsianou.
AEK: D. Nigro, K. McKenty, E. Paterou 1, E. Georgiou, H. Biniari, A. Kalaitzi, A. Gilla 2, A. Frangelaki, E. Roumelioti, E. Liapaki, M. Dassiou 2, C. Michailidou 1, Founti, Fella, A. Peteina

Vouliagmeni 12 – 3 NC Larissa (3-0, 2-3, 4-0, 3-0)
Vouliagmeni: M. Kotsioni, S. Kaifa 1, D. Kalogeropoulou, E. Elliniadi 1, A. Giannopoulou, E. Tankeeva 6, E. Wright 2, K. Stratidaki, D. Andreadi 1, M. Mimidi 1, F. Angelidis, E. Patras.
Larissa: E. Archontaki, A. Kokkinou, I. Touloumtzidou, V. Hasiotis, D. Kalogianni 1, A. Safeti, A. Koltsida, G. Sakellariou, K. Rogers 1, T. Galanopoulou 1, A. Clapperton.

Alimos NAC 20 – 7 NC Rethymnou (4-3, 5-1, 5-1, 6-2)
Alimos: E. Lazaris, N. Chaldaiou 4, E. Kovacevic 1, N. Piovan 2, J. Lykothanasis, E. Paterou, A. Asimaki 4, S. Logothetis 1,L. Mihailovic 3, M.. Bitsakou 2, E. Tsimara 2, I. Helmi, M. Karagianni, Kirkou 1, D. Theofanopoulou.
Rethymnou: Poulopoulou, Lampathaki 1, Doyle 1, Kyriakaki, Maria Farmaki 1, Tsiougri 1, Sanchez 3, Stella Libitaki, Anna Libitaki.

Peristeri SC 10 – 9 NE Patra (1-2, 5-2, 1-3, 3-2)
Peristeri: C. Zafiraki, A. Kolitsopoulou 4, S. Fragaki, E. Grozopoulou, C. Apostolidou, D. Konstantopoulou 1, E. Loukopoulou, E. Berikou, P. Petta, D. Bekri, M. Kassari 2, M. Gotzia 3, A. Papasifaki, E. Threpsiadou.
Patra: A. Giannakea, A. Androutseli, V. Zofoli, T. Levi, E. Tsimara 1, M. Balatsa, M. Petasi 1, D. Koureta 4, O. Moirali, N. Balatsa, D. Kontakou, V. Paraskevopoulou, A. Kontakou, N. Michalatou, I. Rack 3.

PAOK 9 – 7 Panionios (0-2, 3-1, 2-2, 4-2)
PAOK: E. Lerioti, A. Bikou, E. Pustinikova 4, E. Tzelepi 1, K. Melina 1, I. Paraskevopoulou, P. Graikou, A. Akilbayeva, D. Fragia 1, C. Dona-Tsiaka, V. Niarhakou, A. Tzourka, Karypidou I. 2.
Panionios: A. Mitsou, P. Casey 1, I. Mavrotas, M. Bogachenko 1, A. Kotsafti, M. Mastrokallou, M. Thomopoulou, E. Loudi 2, C. Kotsia 1, A. Loudi 2, D. Papanastasiou, A. Papanastasiou, L. Mavrotas.

League leaders Olympiacos enjoyed a healthy victory over Glyfada, with a strong team display leading the Red-Whites to an 18-12 away win. Eight Olympiacos players multi-scored, with Stefania Santa and Vasiliki Plevritou netting hat-tricks. Olympiacos always stayed ahead, but they weren’t home and dry until the midway point in the last quarter, with braces from Christina Siouti and Vasiliki Plevritou adding some daylight between the two teams. It’s worth remembering that Olympiacos have, quite incredibly, won every game this season (20 wins from 20 games).

With Olympiacos dominating the competition, it is a tight battle for the remaining top spots, with Vouliagmeni (49 pts) leading Ethnikos (48 pts) by a single point. While both teams will face tricky games in the final two matchdays, both were very comfortable this week.

Ethnikos proved to be ten goals better than AEK with a straightforward 16-6 win at the Piraeus National Pool. Maria Borisova, the Blue-Whites’ summer signing from Plebiscito Padova, netted six goals for Stefanos Leandros’ side. There were also three-goal tallies for three players (Kontoni, Benekou, and Katsimpri), as Ethnikos won their sixth consecutive game.

Meanwhile, another Russian had an equally impressive display for Vouliagmeni against Larissa, as Ekaterina Tankeeva, an Olympian from London 2012, also bagged a double hat-trick in a 12-3 win for the Nautical Club. Emma Wright (2 goals) also featured on the scoresheet, unlike Larissa in the second half, who didn’t find a way past their hosts for 16 minutes.

PAOK once again raised eyebrows and pulled off another big surprise, defeating Panionios 9-7. The Red and Blues looked set to win their 12th game of the campaign when they led 7-5 into the last quarter, but four straight goals, two of which came via Iro Karypidou, gave Panagiotis Vergos’ team full points and pulled them within two points of Panionios in the league. It’s been a great season for PAOK, with a huge tie against Glyfada and key victories over Alimos, Patra, and now Panionios. The result is particularly impressive given that Panionios won the home leg extremely comfortably back in December (14-6).

There was another shock in North Athens too, with Peristeri grabbing a late winner to down NE Patra 10-9. While Peristeri led by three scores at the intermission (6-3), the Dolphins came back with intent to equalise at 9-9 in the last quarter. However, with 0:12 seconds to play, the star of the game, Angeliki Kolitsopoulou, found her fourth of the match to confirm her team’s fourth win of the season. Peristeri has now won two games on the trot. Three of their four victories this season have come in 2023.

Alimos NAC turned up the heat in the second half to crush Rethymnou 20-7, spearheaded by four goals each from Nefeli Chaldaiou and Alexandra Asimaki. Despite a close first quarter, which saw the Alimos with a wafer-thin advantage, a huge onslaught throughout the rest of the game ensured Yiannis Benopoulos claimed one of his easiest wins since his appointment in mid-February. A key Alimos player, Nefeli Chaldaiou, until recently was training with the senior Greek national team, but it has now been confirmed that the 18-year-old will not play at the upcoming World Cup. Lena Mihailovic was also left out of the Australian squad for the World Cup, despite a decent first season in the South Athens suburb.