Aris Hold Off Volos 3-2 After Flying Start

By Taki Panos

There are two ways to describe Aris's 3-2 win over Volos on Sunday. One is that they scored three brilliant goals in the first half and took three points. The other is that they nearly gave the whole thing away. Both are true, and Aris fans will happily take the first version. The official club report on arisfc.com.gr was titled simply "Back to winning ways", and that was the headline that mattered at Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium.

If you are new to Greek football, Aris are one of the big clubs of Thessaloniki, with a famously passionate home crowd in the Charilaou neighborhood. Volos arrived at the bottom of the table, so on paper this was a game the hosts were expected to win comfortably. On paper, of course, is where a lot of Super League matches go to die, and this one very nearly joined them.

Michalis Grigoriou's team came out flying. Christian Kouame opened the scoring in the 7th minute, Fabiano Leismann made it 2-0 midway through the half, and Tino Kadewere added the third in the 43rd minute. Kathimerini called Aris relentless in the opening 45 minutes, and noted that Kadewere had earlier missed a penalty, so it could easily have been four.

At 3-0 at the break against the team at the bottom of the table, most people in Charilaou were probably already thinking about dinner. That is a dangerous habit in football, and it is an even more dangerous one for the players. A three-goal lead invites a team to stop doing the things that built it, and every opposing coach knows it.

Volos coach Kostas Bratsos had other ideas. He made a double change at halftime, and his side came out with a very different energy. Derek Agyakwa pulled one back in the 58th minute, and suddenly the game had life again. A goal like that changes the sound of a stadium. The noise from the stands turns from celebration to instructions, and every Volos attack starts to feel like it might be the one.

Aris still had chances to put it away. Volos goalkeeper Siampanis made what Kathimerini described as a world-class save on a close-range header from Racic in the 83rd minute. Three minutes later, Crespi swung in a free kick and Giannis Kargas headed it in from close range for 3-2. With only a few minutes left, a match that had looked finished at halftime had nerves everywhere.

There was one final scare. In the last action of the match, Agyakwa rose for a header from a corner and sent the ball over the bar. Aris held on, and the final whistle sounded more like relief than celebration. If you had walked out at halftime, you would have read the final score the next morning and assumed nothing much happened after the break. You would have been very wrong.

The win lifts Aris to 10 points from six games, as Newsbomb noted, which puts them level with OFI in the standings. That is a respectable platform, and a week like this one will feel even better if they can build some consistency in the coming games. Their next league trip is to Kifisia, where they will want the first half without the second.

For Volos, it is a tough spot. They remain last on -1 point after a three-point deduction, Newsbomb reported. Starting the season below zero is a heavy weight to carry, and every point they win is really a step back toward the starting line. Still, a second half like this one shows there is fight in the squad, and that matters when you are trying to climb out of a hole.

It has been a good stretch for the yellow and black in general. The Aris basketball team also had a big night recently, which we covered in our report on Aris routing AEK 88-58 at Nick Galis Hall. Thessaloniki's Aris supporters had plenty to talk about this week, and if you happen to be in town for a game, our list of the best restaurants in Thessaloniki is a good place to start.

My take: the first half showed what this Aris team can be when the attack clicks. The second half showed what still needs work. Three points, a lesson, and a reminder that no lead is safe in this league. Grigoriou will be pleased with the result and a little less pleased with the video session, and that is probably the healthiest way to feel after a game like this.

For more stories like this one, keep an eye on our Greek Sports section. Aris got back to winning ways, just as the club said. Next time, the supporters would probably prefer to enjoy the second half too.

Sources: Aris FC, Kathimerini, Newsbomb.

Image: Aris crest, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).