Sebastian Leto

Panathinaikos says long-delayed payments have been made to Michael Essien and two others in an effort to avoid losing nine points as the Greek club struggles with mounting debts and the threat of relegation.

The Athenian football derby on Sunday ended with Panathinaikos clinching 3 points away from home against AEK Athens in the dying stages of the match by scoring a 3rd goal (3-2).

Panathinaikos, PAOK and Asteras Tripolis braved the cold conditions in midweek and made huge inroads toward making the quarterfinals of the Greek Cup.

On Tuesday Asteras Tripolis won 2-0 at second-division Trikala, goals coming from Nikos Kaltsas and Yiannis Kotsiras, reducing the second leg at Tripoli to a mere formality.

A spectacular goal by Thodoris Vassilakakis gave Xanthi a famous 2-1 win at Panathinaikos on Sunday allowing Olympiakos to climb alone at the top of the Super League after its 2-0 victory over Panionios on Saturday.

Champion Olympiakos needed a highly controversial penalty and a winner from Brown Ideye on Sunday night to keep apace with AEK, Panathinaikos, Panionios and Platanias as all five have made it two wins out of two games in the Super League.

PAOK snatched a precious draw at AEK on Sunday and needs one point in its last game of the play-offs, at home against Panathinaikos, to earn Greece's second spot in the Champions League qualifiers. Unlike AEK, that is out, the Greens stayed in the running for the top spot beating Panionios in Mladen Petric's emotional home farewell, as he is about to retire.