Olympiacos CFP's hopes for another Greek Championship this season were dealt a huge blow on Sunday evening as the titleholders fell 1-0 to Iraklis. With rivals Panathinaikos FC and PAOK FC winning their contests earlier in the weekend, Olympiacos fell off the pace with their failure to win at the Kaftanzogleio Stadium in Thessaloniki.
Bozidar Bandovic's side were down early as a penalty for the hosts was clinically converted by Bogdan Mara to give Iraklis the lead inside ten minutes.
Desperate to restore parity as soon as possible, Olympiacos attacked feverishly with the likes of Lomana Lua Lua and Matt Derbyshire in the thick of things as the visitors targeted an eqaulizer. Backed by a sturdy performance from Daniel Fernanded in the Iraklis goal, the hosts held on to their one-goal advantage, repelling Olympiacos' progress towards goal and ultimately the Piraeus side's bid for the Super League title.
With the defeat, Olympiacos slip back into a five-point deficit behind Panathinaikos for top spot in the standings. A visit from PAS Giannina FC is up next for the Erythrolefki before the club's biggest week, at least figuratively, as their UEFA Champions League encounter with FC Girondins de Bordeaux is followed by another instalment of the Eternal Derby.
For Iraklis, their relegation battle doesn't seem to be such a lost cause as it may have just a few weeks ago. A romp last week in Tripoli has been followed up by a slim win just as important as the Thessaloniki outfit looks to avoid the drop. Jozef Boubenko's side face a road trip to Peristeri as Atromitos FC provide the opposition on Saturday.
