Untouchable: Olympiacos progress to play-offs with perfect record

April 5, 2023

Olympiacos remain unbeaten for the second successive season. Photo: Olympiacos SPF

The regular season in the women’s Greek league is over.

Eight teams are primed and ready for the championship play-offs, while the bottom four sides prepare to fight for their survival in Greece’s top flight.

Scintillating Olympiacos are the team to beat after the first phase, finishing off their regular season with a derby-day victory over Ethnikos (14-11). A quite incredible display in the first half of the season for the Red-Whites sees them progress as the top ranked side, with twenty-two wins from twenty-two games. The gap between them and the next best side – Vouliagmeni (11pts) – does not flatter the reigning champions at all, as Aleksandar Ciric’s team line up their 10th successive national title.

The defeat for the Blue-Whites means that Vouliagmeni are the other team that automatically progresses to the semi-finals, with Kiki Liosi’s side handing Patra a 19-8 drubbing. Glyfada defeated Alimos 16-10, but both sides are into the play-offs. Panionios are the last team to book a play-off spot, with a comfortable 15-3 victory over Athens rivals, Peristeri.

Reminder: Greek women’s league format

At the end of the regular season, the top 8 teams in the standings move on to the Playoffs. In the First Phase of the Playoffs, the teams ranked 3rd and 6th and the teams ranked 4th and 5th played against each other. The teams that win two matches in this phase advance to the semi-finals, which will determine the top 4 spots in the championship. The teams that lose in the First Phase will play for 5th place. The top 2 teams in the standings, however, automatically advance to the semi-finals without playing any matches. Teams ranked 9th to 12th will play in the Playouts. The teams ranked 9th and 12th and the teams ranked 10th and 11th will play each other in this phase. The team at the bottom will be relegated, while the top team from the A2 will be promoted.

Progressed to the play-off Semi-Finals: Olympiacos (1st), Vouliagmeni (2nd)
Progressed to the play-off Quarter-finals: Ethnikos (3rd), Glyfada (4th), Alimos (5th), Panionios (6th).
Relegation play-off: AEK, Peristeri, Larissa, Rethymnou.

Quarter-finals:

Ethnikos vs Panionios

ANO Glyfada vs Alimos NAC

The teams that achieve 2 wins advance to the semi-final phase of the championship (places 1-4), while the losers will play for the 5th place.

Relegation play-offs

AEK vs NC Rethymnou

Peristeri SC vs NC Larissa

The teams that achieve 2 wins remain in the division, while the losers are relegated to the A2 National Division.

2022/23 Women’s Greek League, Day 21

Ethnikos 11 – 14 Olympiacos (1-5, 4-4, 3-2, 3-3)
Ethnikos: E. Sotireli, A, Karampetsou 1, M. Borisova 3, V. Laskaridou, I. Kontoni, E. Beta, F. Chatzikyriakaki 2, A. Benekou 2, M. Rakitzi, E. Kanetidou, I. Benekou, C. Andrews 1, D. Bekri, E. Katsimpri 2.
Olympiacos:C. Diamantopoulou, E.. Plevritou, S. Santa 1, N. Eleftheriadou 3, F. Tricha, E. Xenaki 4, C. Siouti, M. Plevritou, A. Christodoulou-Out, V. Plevritou 3, K. Christmas 2, M. Myriokefalitaki 1, I. Stamatopoulou, D. Drakotou, Z.Tjortzakaki.

ANO Glyfada 16 – 10 Alimos NAC (5-0, 2-4, 5-2, 4-4)
Glyfada:E. Karytsa, P. Ninou, T. Moustakaria 2, I. Wolves, E. Grigoropoulou 1, I. Ninou 3, E. Antoniadi, I. Kanellopoulou 1, I. Koolhaas 1, E. Fountontou 5, L. Katsoni, S. Kontogianni 3, K. Iliakopoulou
Alimos: E. Lazaris, N. Chaldaiou 1, E. Kovacevich 3, N. Piovan, J. Lykothanasis 1, E. Paterou 1, A. Asimaki 2, S. Logothetis 1, L. Mihailovic 1, M. Bitsakou, E. Tsimara, I. Helmi, M. Karagianni, D. Theofanopoulou.

PAOK 13 – 7 NC Rethymnou (6-1, 2-2, 2-3, 3-1)
PAOK: E. ELerioti, A. Bikou 1, E. Pustinikova 2, E. Tzelepi 1, M. Karypidou 5, I. Paraskevopoulou, P. Graikou, A. Akilbayeva, D. ragia 1, C. Dona-Tsiaka 1, A. Tzourka, I. Karypidou 2.
Rethymnou: M. Poulopoulou, D. Lampathaki 1, B. Doyle 2, N. Tsiougri 2, M. Zafeirakis, A. Sanchez 1, E. Libitaki, S. Libitaki 1, A. Libitaki

NC Vouliagmeni 19 – 8 NE Patra (3-1, 4-4, 9-0, 3-3)
Vouliagmeni: M. Kotsioni, S. Kaifa 1, D. Kalogeropoulou 3, E. Elliniadi 7, A. Giannopoulou 3, A. Ridge 2, E. aTankeeva 1, K. Stratidaki, D. Andreadis, F. Angelidis 1, E. Patras, Krassa 1.
Patra: A. Giannakea, V. Zofolia. M. Kepenou, E. Tsimara, M. Balatsa 1, M. Petasi 2, D. Koureta 1, O. Moirali, N. Balatsa 1, D. Kontakou, V. Paraskevopoulou 1, L. Steenbeck, A. Krina, I. Rack 2.

NC Larissa 9 – 10 AEK (1-2, 0-1, 5-2, 3-5)
Larissa: E. Archontaki, A. Kokkinou, I. Touloumtzidou 1, V. Hasiotis, D. Kalogiannis, A. Safeti 1, A. Koltsidas 1, G. Sakellariou, K. Rogers 4, T. Galanopoulou 1, M. Mastori 1, A. Clapperton.
AEK:D. Nigro, K. McKenty 3, E. 7, Paterou 1, E. Georgiou, H. Biniari, A. Kalaitzi 1, A. Gilla, A. Frangelaki, E. Roumelioti, E. Liapaki 2, M. Dassiou 3, C. Michailidou, Founti, Fella, Peteinatu.

Peristeri SC 3 – 15 Panionios (1-4, 1-2, 1-4, 0-5)
Peristeri: C. Zafeiraki, A. Kolitsopoulou, S. Fragaki, E. Grozopoulou, C. Apostolidou, D. Konstantopoulou, E. Loukopoulou, E. Berikou 1, P. Petta 1, D. Bekri, M. Kassari, M. Gotzia 1, E. Skarmoutsou, A. Papasifaki, V. Skarmoutsou.
Panionios: A. Mitsou, P. Casey 1, I. Mavrotas, M. Bogachenko 4, A. Kotsafti 2, M. Mastrokallou, M. Thomopoulou, E. Loudis 1, C. Kotsia 4, A. Loudis 2, D. Papanastasiou 1, C. Katsiou, L. Mavrotas, A. Karagianni, Nouzi.

For the second consecutive season, Olympiacos emerged from the first phase of the season with a perfect record, with 22 victories from 22 games. They had to work hard though to maintain their perfect record, with a 14-11 win over Piraeus rivals Ethnikos.

Olympiacos won the previous two meetings with Ethnikos, and for a while, the third meeting between the two sides looked certain to go the same way. But in fact, it took Olympiacos three attempts before finally moving past their determined rivals.

The Red-Whites led 5-1 after eight minutes, but to Ethnikos’ credit, they climbed back to 7-5 in the second quarter. Olympiacos restored their four point lead at half-time (9-5), but Ethnikos replied in an exemplary fashion once more (11-9). For the final time, the Red-Whites rebuilt their lead (13-9) before being pegged back by the Ethnikos, but this time time wasn’t on their side. Eleni Xenaki was the star of the show for Olympiacos, contributing four goals to the team’s effort, while Nikoleta Eleftheriadou and Vasiliki Plevritou added three each..

Vouliagmeni enjoyed a far simpler route to three points, with a turbo-charged third quarter (9-0) seeing them cruise past Patra 19-8. For the third time in the season, it was Eleni Elliniadi who caught the eye, snatching a staggering seven goals during the match for the Nautical Club.

Panionios also enjoyed a healthy margin of victory, downing Peristeri on their trip to North Athens (15-3). The points were never really in doubt for Tassos Papanastasiou’s side, who are into the play-offs. A quad of scores from Israeli international Maria Bogachenko and Cristina Kotsia led the way for the Blue and Reds. A final quarter shut-out (5-0) served to bolster Panionios’ goal difference.

Glyfada’s clash with Alimos had the potential to be an intriguing match-up, but the former quickly stamped their authority on the game, jumping out to a commanding 5-0 lead after just eight minutes. Although Alimos fought hard, they ultimately fell short, with Eleftheria Fountontou’s five goals proving the difference in Glyfada’s 13-6 victory.

There was an early statement of strength between two of the teams battling to avoid relegation, as AEK edged Larissa by a single score (10-9) in an exciting contest. The Athletic Union of Constantinople led 3-1 after sixteen minutes, before Larissa turned the game in its head, and went ahead 6-5, and then 8-6. However, in a dramatic finish to the match, AEK were back ahead inside the final few minutes, with Lipaki, Dassiou, Safeti and McKenty grabbing later strikes for the Yellow and Blacks.

The last game of the matchday, and the regular was played on Wednesday (5th April), with PAOK bettering Rethymnou 13-7. PAOK commanded the game from the first whistle, jumping out to a 6-1 lead in the first quarter. Melina Karypidou was the striker in form, netting five scores in the match. Despite PAOK’s incredible form in the second half of the season, they just miss out on the play-offs by 2pts.