Olympiacos are one win away from retaining the Greek Men’s Water Polo League title after beating Panathinaikos 20-14 at the Serafio swimming pool on Thursday night.
Elvis Fatović’s side now lead the best-of-five final series 2-0 and can seal the championship in Piraeus on Saturday, when the third match takes place at 17:00 local time.
After winning the opening final, Olympiacos delivered another statement performance against their eternal rivals. Panathinaikos battled to stay in touch during the first half, but the red and whites always appeared to have another gear, leading 4-3 after the opening period and extending that advantage to 9-6 by halftime.
The decisive spell came in the third quarter. Olympiacos tightened up defensively, moved the ball with greater speed in attack and produced a powerful 7-3 period that effectively ended the contest. By the final break, the visitors led 16-9, leaving Panathinaikos with too much to do despite a stronger attacking finish in the fourth.
Zalánki led the scoring for Olympiacos with four goals, while Konstantinos Genidounias added three. There were also two goals each for Angial, Fountoulis, Dimou, Nikolaidis, Papanastasiou and Pouros, underlining the attacking depth of Fatović’s side.
For Panathinaikos, Dimitris Skoumpakis was the standout scorer with five goals, while Giouvetsis struck four times and Kopeliadis added two.
The result leaves Olympiacos firmly in control of the final series and within touching distance of another domestic crown. Panathinaikos, meanwhile, must now win three straight matches to deny their rivals the title.
Result
Panathinaikos 14-20 Olympiacos
Quarters: 3-4, 3-5, 3-7, 5-4
Scorers
Panathinaikos: Skoumpakis 5, Giouvetsis 4, Kopeliadis 2, Chalyvopoulos 1, Kourouvanis 1, Hatzigoulas 1.
Olympiacos: Zalánki 4, Genidounias 3, Angial 2, Fountoulis 2, Dimou 2, Nikolaidis 2, Papanastasiou 2, Pouros 2, Kakaris 1.
What’s next?
Olympiacos lead the series 2-0. Game 3 will be played on Saturday, 30 May, at 17:00 in Piraeus. The final is decided by three wins.
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