Greece - UEFA Club Competitions Participants - 2012-2013

Olympiakos Piraeus --> Champions League Group Stage
Panathinaikos Athens --> Champions League Third Qualifying Round
Atromitos Athens --> Europa League Play-off Round
PAOK. Thessaloniki --> Europa League Third Qualifying Round
Asteras Tripolis --> Europa League Second Qualifying Round

Notes: Panathinaikos did not directly qualify to the Champions League due to finishing second in the league, but they had to play through the Greek Superleague Play-offs, against AEK Athens, Atromitos and PAOK. These play-offs also determined that Atromitos and PAOK were to enter the Europa League, and at what stage. AEK, even though they participated to the play-offs, was not granted a license to play in the Europa League 2012-2013, so the remaining place for Greece in the Europa League was taken by the next team in the Superleague standings, Asteras Tripolis.

Greek League is Done

A couple of months ago, I really thought the Greek title race would be interesting this year.

But no!
Panathinaikos imploded, even worse than Manchester City, and Olympiakos just cannot stop winning. Even on Panathinaikos' ground, they showed the then hosts how a real champion plays.

But the Greek league overall is very disappointing, it seems, and perhaps I'll replace it on this blog with a more interesting one next year.

In the meantime, it's all over this year. Olympiakos is the champion, because they are ten points ahead of the second-placed team, with only three matches to be played. So, that's it.

That's Probably It for Panathinaikos!

The Panathinaikos team should be ashamed of itself for exhibiting such stupidity and lack of professionalism.

And it's not like they didn't already know fully well that Olympiakos had already beaten OFI Heraklion.

They performed like true losers, though, losing to a PAOK team that has pretty much zero chances of going for the title, and that also lost at home against Olympiakos just four weeks ago.

But, you know, that's why Panathinaikos has almost 20 titles less than Olympiakos. They're just very rarely consistent enough.

So, unfortunately, even though they're just one point behind, with seven matches to go, Panathinaikos' challenge is probably over this season. My prediction is that Olympiakos' advantage will only increase.

And this is why the Greek league is quite boring to outside football connoisseurs.

Highlights:

Change of Leader in the Greek Super League

Wow, how that loss at Levadiakos came to bite Panathinaikos in the ass!

They could have been eight points up on Olympiakos (with one extra game played), which might have also served to demoralize the Piraeus team. Instead, Olympiakos won at Thessaloniki, against PAOK, and today also defeated AEK at home to go top (albeit with one extra game played).
Who's demoralized now? (If I was a Panathinaikos player, I would surely be.)

But, at least, The Greens' next game is at home.
They play Xanthi on Sunday.

Olympiakos scored their two goals in the first twenty-five minutes, again, through Mellberg (in minute 5) and Mirallas (24).

It would be the the 39th title for the Red-Whites if they win this title, too, while Panathinaikos is going for number 21.
Big difference, isn't it?

Watch the highlights here.

Levadiakos Strikes Late

Panathinaikos registered their second defeat of the season, at Levadiakos, due to a cracking header from substitute Melissas, coming after a corner on the left-hand side, late in the game.
(And what a girly name to have...)

Panathinaikos was punished in the 83rd minute, and could not come up with an equalizer.

Now, they're waiting to see Olympiakos' result on Sunday, at PAOK, which could bring the team from Piraeus to within two points of the leaders.

Maybe the Panathinaikos staff thought that Olympiakos has a very hard game in Thessaloniki and they could rest easy. But they paid the piper.

Highlights:

Olympiakos Loses Big

Xanthi Skoda succeeded in changing the leader in the Greek league. They did so by beating the most prestigious club in Greece, Olympiakos Piraeus, 1-0, at home.

In tandem with Panathinaikos' 1-0 win against Atromitos, what all of that means is now Panathinaikos leads the Super League, by two points over Olympiakos, and with one game in hand (to be played on Wednesday).

When Xanthi played Panathinaikos at home, they lost, 2-3.

There are twelve full matchdays left in the Greek Super League.

Olympiakos Loses the Advantage

After Panathinaikos drew at Panaitolikos on January 4th, meaning that at the time they could only draw even with Olympiakos if they won their games in hand, now Olympiakos lost two points in the title race, too.

But Olympiakos' stumble seems all the more surprising due to the team to which they dropped points. Olympiakos could not beat Doxa Dramas, which is dead last in the league, with 0 wins, and 8 defeats out of 11 played.

So, this means that, if Panathinaikos wins their two games in hand, they would have two points up on their rivals.