Five-star Olympiacos into final four

By Vassiliki Papantonopoulou

Olympiacos CFP reached the Greek Cup semi-finals in style as a 5-1 victory at home against FC Kastoria overturned a first-leg deficit and completed a 6-3 aggregate success.

Early strikes
Forced to play the match behind closed doors at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium following crowd trouble against Ergotelis FC, Olympiacos overwhelmed the second division side with five goals in the first half to retrieve a 2-1 first-leg deficit. Ieroklis Stoltidis levelled the aggregate scores within three minutes with a long-range shot, and six minutes later Ioannis Okkas put Olympiacos 2-0 with a close-range finish from Grigorios Georgatos.

Okkas influence
In the 14th minute it was three with Okkas involved again, exchanging a one-two with Ioannis Taralidis before the latter scored from close range. Okkas headed his second, and Olympiacos' fourth, midway through the half from a cross by Georgios Anatolakis, and Georgatos made it five from the penalty spot after Milos Maric had been fouled by Fotis Kiskabanis.

AEK test
Christos Athanasiadis' diving header four minutes from time pulled a goal back for the visitors, but Olympiacos had already wrapped up their first win in March after being eliminated from the UEFA Cup Round of 16 by Newcastle United FC. Olympiacos will now play AEK Athens FC in the last four, while Xanthi FC meet FC Aris Thessaloniki in the other semi-final.