Fabiano, Kouame and Petris Fire Aris Past Atromitos 3-1 in Thessaloniki

By Taki Panos

Some matches take ninety minutes to settle. Aris needed less than half an hour. Fabiano headed in a corner in the third minute, Christian Kouame and Jeremy Petris added goals in the 23rd and 27th minutes, and Aris beat Atromitos 3-1 at Kleanthis Vikelidis in Thessaloniki on Sunday night, as both Ta Nea and ERT Sports reported. Serginio had briefly equalized for the visitors in the ninth minute, but every goal of the night came in a busy first half of round 8 of the Super League.

For readers new to the Greek league, Aris are one of the big clubs of Thessaloniki, playing in yellow and black, while Atromitos come from Peristeri in western Athens. The two arrived in very different moods. Aris had won their last two league games against Volos and Kifisia, the second of them a late 2-1 win at Kifisia, per Metrosport. Atromitos had not won a league game all season, according to Goal.com.cy and Gazzetta.

Michalis Grigoriou kept faith in what has been working. In.gr noted that the Aris coach named the same starting eleven for a third straight league game: Ricardo Velho in goal, Petris, Fabiano, Sutalo and Richards across the back, Racic and Hongla in midfield, Garre and Bruma wide, Kouame behind striker Tino Kadewere. Fadiga was left out of the squad for disciplinary reasons, both in.gr and Gazzetta reported. Atromitos coach Dusan Kerkez, under growing pressure, changed both full back spots, per Gazzetta.

The opener came almost before everyone had found their seats. Garre took a short corner from the right to Bruma, Bruma swung in the cross, and Fabiano rose to head it past Atromitos goalkeeper Lefteris Choutesiotis for 1-0, as Ta Nea and ERT Sports both described. Gazzetta pointed out that it was the Brazilian center back's fourth goal of the season, already matching his total for the whole regular season in 2023-24. Not bad for a defender in October.

Atromitos answered quickly, and not without controversy. In the ninth minute Steven Zuber slipped a fine through ball in behind the Aris back line and Serginio hit a powerful shot from the edge of the box past Velho for 1-1, according to Ta Nea and ERT Sports. The home side protested furiously, claiming a handball by Atromitos defender Magnusson at the start of the move. Ta Nea reported that the goal stood after a VAR check, and Gazzetta wrote that Aris had strong complaints about the refereeing.

Aris did not let it rattle them. In the 23rd minute Racic found Kadewere in space, the Zimbabwean striker fired a strong shot, and Choutesiotis could only parry it. Kouame was first to the rebound and headed it in for 2-1, as Ta Nea, ERT Sports and Gazzetta all described. Gazzetta credited Kadewere's persistence and a defensive mistake by Atromitos for creating the chance. It was a goal built on hunger as much as quality.

Then came the best goal of the night. Racic, at the heart of everything, played a pass in behind for Petris, who had pushed forward on an overlap down the right. The French full back went into the box from a tight angle and drilled a shot past Choutesiotis for 3-1 in the 27th minute, per Ta Nea and ERT Sports. Gazzetta called it the most beautiful goal of the evening. From that angle, most defenders would have crossed. Petris had other ideas.

Aris thought they had a fourth before the break. Garre put the ball in the net late in the first half, but referee Stavros Tsimenteridis ruled it out for handball, both Gazzetta and ERT Sports reported. Gazzetta argued that Garre's left arm was tucked against his body and that the decision was wrong, adding to the frustration at the home end. Even so, Aris went into halftime two goals up and, by Gazzetta's account, fully in control of the game.

The second half was a different kind of contest. Atromitos made changes at the break, brought Ofori on, and saw more of the ball, but they rarely troubled Velho, according to ERT Sports and Gazzetta. Ta Nea noted that the visitors' first real attempt of the half came only in the 71st minute, when Zuber shot wide, and that Velho held a second Zuber effort a few minutes later. Aris, for their part, managed the game calmly rather than chasing more goals.

Grigoriou freshened things up as Atromitos began to push after the 75th minute, Gazzetta reported, sending on Fredrik Jensen in midfield and Rafa Mir up front in place of Kadewere. That brought new energy. In the 84th minute Racic sent a direct free kick just over the bar, and in the same spell Mir forced Choutesiotis into a difficult save from inside the box, per Ta Nea and Gazzetta. The score stayed 3-1 to the final whistle.

The result lifts Aris to 16 points and into fourth place, as both ERT Sports and Gazzetta noted, and Ta Nea pointed out that the team is now unbeaten in four league games and in five across all competitions, counting the Cup. Atromitos stay on just two points, second from bottom and still without a league win, per Gazzetta and Goal.com.cy. Ta Nea described it as their third straight league defeat and said Kerkez is now under real pressure.

My take: this was the most complete Aris performance of the season so far, and Goal.com.cy said much the same. The front four pressed, Racic ran the midfield, and two defenders got on the scoresheet. The second half was flat, and the strikers could still be sharper, but a team that kills a game in half an hour has earned the right to coast. Three wins in a row is a run. Four would start to look like a statement.

Next up, Aris travel to Livadeia to face Levadiakos, who have struggled badly in front of goal this season, while Atromitos host Volos, per ERT Sports. For more on Greek clubs and athletes around the world, keep an eye on our Greek Sports section. Thessaloniki's yellow half went home happy on Sunday. Peristeri has some soul searching to do.

Sources: Ta Nea, ERT Sports, Gazzetta, in.gr, Metrosport, Goal.com.cy.

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