Super League

Argentine striker Sergio Araujo scored a brace to lead AEK to a 3-0 triumph over 10-man PAOK on Sunday and into the play-off positions, while Olympiakos ended its losing streak beating Atromitos.

Much as most of the Super League matches were competitive, one cannot help noticing that this was another poor weekend in terms of goals, with just 10 in seven games.

PAOK extended Olympiakos's losing streak to three games in the Super League, beating the leader 2-0 in Thessaloniki and giving fresh interest to the championship.

Could rank outsider Panionios dispute Olympiakos's supremacy in the Super League? On Sunday it proved it can, as it defeated the champion 1-0 in Piraeus to cut the distance from the top to seven points with eight games left to play.

AEK forced Olympiakos's second loss in the Super League this year, winning 1-0 in Sunday's derby to secure little more than the bragging rights, given it remains 18 points from the top of the table.

Xanthi put an end to PAOK's winning streak with a goalless draw in Thrace on Sunday leaving Panionios alone in second chasing runaway Super League leader Olympiakos, both of whom won on Saturday, while Panathinaikos scored four goals for the second time in four days.

In a weekend of an unexpectedly high fan turnout at most Super League stadiums, Olympiakos put three past struggling Iraklis to stay 13 points ahead of PAOK and Panionios, who also won at home, while Panathinaikos was unable to win at PAS Giannina and dropped to fifth.

PAOK has risen to second in the Super League after beating Larissa away on Wednesday, while Panathinaikos and AEK strolled to the next round of the Greek Cup on the same day.

All teams following Olympiakos drew in the weekend's Super League action, meaning that the Reds, who won on Sunday at Veria, have opened their lead to 13 points with 12 games left to play.

Olympiakos needs 10 wins from its 13 remaining games in the Super League to mathematically clinch its seventh consecutive title after downing second-placed Xanthi at home on Saturday.

Olympiakos stumbled for the second time in a week, as its draw at Asteras Tripolis on Wednesday saw its gap from second-placed Xanthi shrink to eight points on the Super League table, while AEK's loss at Panetolikos led to its second managerial change this season.