Olympiakos beats Asteras 7-2 in Greek league

Posted Monday, March 26, 2012 by YAHOO Sport

Kevin Mirallas scored four goals, three in the second half, to help Olympiakos rally from an early 0-2 deficit and crush visiting Asteras 7-2 in the Greek league Sunday.

Rafik Djebbour, Pablo Orbaiz and David Fuster also scored in the second half during which Olympiakos completely dominated its opponent.

Ximo Navarro and Rogerio had opened the scoring for Asteras.

“I’ve never scored four goals in my career … I’m very happy I’m now the top scorer (in the league,” said Mirallas, who now has scored 18 goals.

Mirallas could have had an even better night but he hit the posts twice, in the 5th and 78th minutes, and once the crossbar, in the 36th.

The win puts Olympiakos four points ahead of rival Panathinaikos in first place but the table does not take into account last week’s game between the leaders which was halted because of fan violence. Panathinaikos is appealing a ruling that deducted three points from the club this season and two more at the start of next season.

Also Sunday, Levadiakos won at last-place Drama 2-0, AEK prevailed 1-0 over Panaitolikos, Giannena and Ergotelis drew 1-1 and PAOK won 4-0 at Kerkyra.

Olympiakos started strongly, missing two early chances through Djebbour and Mirallas, but Asteras was dangerous on the counterattack and struck twice. In the 13th, Mario Breska received a long ball and after goalkeeper Balasz Megyeri had blocked his shot, he picked up the rebound and passed to Navarro, who blasted a shot into the empty net.

Four minutes later, Sebastian Bartolini sent a deep ball to Rogerio and he, in turn, exchanged passes with Navarro inside the area before scoring.

Olympiakos reacted quickly and pulled a goal back in the 20th after Bartolini brought down Jean Makoun inside Asteras’ area. Mirallas converted the penalty kick.

Olympiakos continued to press, but it was Asteras which almost scored a third goal in the 45th, without even trying. Olympiakos left back Ivan Marcano was under no pressure when he overhit a back pass to Megyeri, who had to sprint back to his goal and slide to clear the ball off the line.

Olympiakos equalized in the 48th when Yannis Maniatis crossed from the right and Djebbour tapped the ball in. Two minutes later, Djebbour shot twice from inside the area but goalkeeper Giorgos Bantis blocked the first shot and the second went just wide. A minute after that, two Asteras defenders rose to meet a cross and the ball bounced off both, falling at the feet of a grateful Mirallas who put his team ahead from close range, In the 53rd, Djamel Abdoun squared the ball for Orbaiz who made it 4-2.

Djebbour’s cross in the 70th was tapped in by Mirallas and Fuster made it 6-2 in the 80th. Mirallas completed the scoring in the 89th.