Botia strikes early as Olympiakos beat Panionios 2-0

Defending champion Olympiakos scored a goal in each half at Panionios to win 2-0 and go top of the Greek league on Saturday. Alberto Botia scored with a 15thminute header off a corner, and Luka Milivojevic added the second with a free kick in the 64th. Both teams had a player sent off with a second yellow card late in the game - Panayiotis Retsos for Olympiakos, and Valentinos Vlahos for Panionios. Olympiakos is two points ahead of Panathinaikos - which can reclaim first place if it beats visiting Xanthi on Sunday - and three ahead of Panionios. Also Saturday, Asteras picked up its first points of the season after four losses, beating Platanias 2-0. Panetolikos thrashed Kerkyra 4-0.

Hibernians 56 Gzira Athleta 71 (4-18, 14-24, 14-21, 24-8)

Athleta's victory over the Paolites permitted them to go straight into the semis given that Hibs were suffering their second defeat in the Pool and that meant also that Floriana will also go in the semis with the match between them and Athleta to determine the winner of the Pool.

Both sides fielded the same formations as in their previous matches.

Athleta began with a three hoop spread before the Paolites managed two hoops with another from Athleta in between.

Hibs were then smothered by the strong Athleta outfit as the latter put in a long 10-0 run which took them to the end of the session as Josiah Whitehead Michael Naudi and Peter Shoults made their points.

In the next period Hibs were more adventurous but they were facing determined opponents as Whitehead and Naudi kept on with their points. The Spaniard Alvaro Lizaur and Ryan Carabott netted triples for the Paolites but at the other end it was Naudi twice, from Whitehead and Billy Zammit, making their treys as Athleta kept on getting further away from Hibs.

At the interval Athleta were coasting on a comfortable 42-18 advantage.

After the break, Athleta immediately put in an early 8-2 run with another Zammit triple. The Paolites managed a trio of hoops with athleta then making up a 7-0 run. Till the end of the session Athleta's lead had increased further going on to a better 63-32 advantage.

The last session had Hibs vying to make the score a more respectable one as they began with thre triples two by Luke Farrugia and Lizaur in between.

Athleta took their feet off the throttle and the Paolites went on with an 11-2 run ending with an Isaac Bonett trey. It was all whitehead for Athleta in this period