Panathinaikos routs Ergotelis
Sebastian Leto scored twice to lead Panathinaikos to a 4-0 victory over visiting Ergotelis in the Greek league Saturday.
Jean-Alain Boumsong and Costas Katsouranis added a goal apiece for Panathinaikos, which tops the standings with 13 points. Atromitos also has 13 points after a 1-0 win over Giannena on Saturday, but Panathinaikos has the better goal difference and two games in hand.
In Saturday's other game, Asteras and Xanthi drew 1-1.
Panathinaikos dominated the game from the start and opened the scoring in the seventh minute. Boumsong rose high to meet Leto's corner and sent a header onto the crossbar. He then outjumped goalkeeper Soren Pirson to get to the rebound and headed the ball into the net.
Ergotelis tried to equalize but its few forays forward were ineffective. It was Panathinaikos who scored again in the 25th when Cleyton and Quincy exchanged passes, with the latter crossing for Leto who scored from close range.
Boumsong had to leave the game in the 30th with an abdominal injury and was replaced by fellow Frenchman Cedric Kante.
Panathinaikos was not affected and made it 3-0 two minutes later when Sergos Marinos crossed and Quincy headed into the path of Costas Katsouranis who, although he stumbled and fell, kicked the ball into the net.
In the 37th, referee Christos Mitsios stopped the game because Panathinaikos fans had unfolded a big banner with offensive language against the government and prime minister George Papandreou. The fans had been chanting obscenities targeting Papandreou for several minutes and the referee demanded that the chants stop and the banner taken down. The game resumed seven minutes later but the banner stayed in place.
In the second half, Panathinaikos fell back, allowing Ergotelis space and threatening with counterattacks. One of those in the 57th led to Katsouranis sending a pass to Leto who burst into the area. Pirson went off his line to make a diving save but defender Mario Hieblinger tackled Leto from behind to draw a penalty. Leto converted the spot kick for his league-leading seventh goal.
Zeca had two good chances to widen the lead, but Pirson blocked his point-blank shot in the 64th and another effort caromed off Hieblinger and over the crossbar in the 67th. In the 76th, a blistering shot by Giorgos Karagounis hit Pirson's right post.
On Sunday, it's OFI vs. AEK, Panionios vs. Olympiakos and Aris vs. PAOK.
