Gilberto plays in Pana 0-0 draw against Aris
January 28, 2010
Source: Sports Illustrated Online
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Panathinaikos extended its lead in the Greek league to eight points on Sunday after earning a 0-0 draw at Aris Thessaloniki as second-place Olympiakos lost 1-0 at home to PAOK.
Panathinaikos now has 48 points from 19 games, with Olympiakos and third-place PAOK on 40 points each.
The Greek leader squandered an early chance when Djibril Cisse met a cross by Dimitris Salpingidis in the ninth minute but could only send his header Michalis Sifakis’s crossbar.
Ten minutes later, a free kick by Giorgos Karagounis found Gilberto Silva in the Aris area, but his header hit the crossbar.
Unlike Aris, which failed to seriously threaten in the first half, the visitors had another chance in the 41st minute, when a powerful shot by Lazaros Christodoulopoulos forced Sifakis to make a diving save.
Alexandros Tzorvas palmed away a powerful shot by Aris striker Eddie Johnson before a 20-meter (yards) shot by Panathinaikos midfielder Costas Katsouranis in the 88th was saved by Sifakis to secure his side a point.
Striker Edinho scored PAOK’s winner in a counterattack in the 20th minute following a through ball by Vladan Ivic.
Olympiakos controlled the game in the second half but it was PAOK which came close to a second goal with Vieirinha and Pablo Garcia both hitting Antonis Nikopolidis’s crossbar.
Also Sunday, it was: Atromitos 2, Kavala 0; Panthrakikos 1, Xanthi 1 and AEK 3, Giannena 1.