SL2 25/26: Panionios 1-0 Athens Kallithea

Despite dictating the play and generating several high-quality chances, AKFC suffered their first loss of the Super League 2 season on Sunday afternoon, falling to cross-town rivals Panionios at Nea Smyrni Stadium, 1-0, after gifting an early goal from a defensive mix-up.

AKFC nearly opened the scoring in the first minute, when Alex Satariano won the ball high up the pitch and sent Marco Paixão through on a partial breakaway, but the ball wouldn’t bounce kindly and he was closed down before being able to pull the trigger.

In the 16th minute, the host grabbed their goal on the counter. After an unfortunate collision between center-back Giannis Sotirakos and defensive midfielder Javier Matilla, the space opened up at the back for Panagiotis Moraitis to set up Kostas Papageorgiou for an easy finish.

Sotirakos nearly responded with a volley that flew just over the bar in the 39th minute, as AKFC gradually took back control of the match.

In the 51st minute, Emanuel Insúa had a massive opportunity to equalize, taking the ball down inside the box and firing a powerful shot that went agonizingly just wide of the post. In the 62nd minute, Juan Cantillo rose above his marker and snapped a firm header on goal that seemed destined for the top corner, only to be spectacularly picked out by ‘keeper Nikolaos Giannakopoulos. In the 67th minute and the 77th minute, Insúa and Satariano, respectively, had dangerous shots from within the box that were desperately deflected away by sliding defenders. It was one-way traffic, but time was ticking away.

The best chance of all came in stoppage time, when Insúa dropped a cross into Cantillo who was all alone in front of goal, but he would send his header over the bar.

AKFC will return to league play when they host Hellas Syrou at Grigoris Lamprakis Stadium on the weekend of 27-28 September.

Athens Kallithea (4-2-3-1): Papadopoulos, Dedakis, Gkezos, Sotirakos (46’ Pasalidis), Insúa, Matilla (76’ Gerolemou), Metaxas, Grivas (81’ Vasilogiannis), Satariano, Sardelis (59’ Golfinos), Paixão (46’ Cantillo)