Champions Olympiakos suffered a shock 2-0 defeat at Asteras Tripolis on Sunday to lose more ground to leader Panathinaikos, which had dismissed visiting OFI 3-1 at home a few hours earlier.

The Greens have 23 points from nine games after beating the team from Crete in front of some 35,000 fans as well as their former striker Djibril Cisse at the Olympic Stadium of Athens, courtesy of goals by Zeca, Silva Cleyton and Sebastian Leto (from the penalty spot). Zeljko Kalajdzic pulled one back for OFI, also from the spot.

Olympiakos showed nothing of the quality team that had beaten Marseille four days earlier in France for the Champions League, slumping to a composed Asteras.

The Tripoli side scored in the 42nd minute through a Rogerio Martins penalty and doubled their lead in the 70th via Emanuel Perrone after a serious error by Olympiakos keeper Balazs Megyeri. This was the first domestic loss for Olympiakos this season.

The Reds, who also lost defender Olof Mellberg due to a first-half injury, are now five points behind Panathinaikos after the same number of games. They also trail AEK by four points, but AEK have played two more games.

Atromitos, in fourth, also suffered their first loss in the league as Xanthi thrashed them 3-0 on Sunday to climb to the sixth spot. The Thrace side are one point behind fifth-placed PAOK.

Also on Sunday Panionios scored their first home win in 10 months, with new coach Akis Mantzios on the bench, downing Aris 2-1, while Levadiakos defeated Doxa Dramas 1-0 in the game between the two recently-promoted sides.