Aris defeated Kalamata 3-2 in Tripoli on the opening matchday of the Stoiximan Super League season after scoring twice in stoppage time. Defender Fabiano scored both late goals to seal a dramatic comeback victory for the Thessaloniki club after they entered the final minute trailing 2-1.
The match stood goalless at half time before Kalamata took control in the second half. Aris manager Grigoriou said after the match that his team took risks in the closing stages to turn the game around.
Aris, who finished in the top European places last season in Greece's top flight, travelled to Tripoli to face newly promoted Kalamata for the opening fixture of the Super League campaign.
Greek Super League matchday results
Elsewhere in the Stoiximan Super League opening round, AEK Athens secured a dominant 4-0 win over Iraklis to begin their campaign. AEK manager Nikolic said after the final whistle that the squad had agreed beforehand that they would not underestimate any fixture this season as they push for European qualification.
Olympiacos also picked up three points on opening day with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Atromitos at the Karaiskakis Stadium. Defender Carmo scored the decisive goal for the home team. Olympiacos manager Mendilibar said his team played well and could have scored more goals during the match. Olympiacos basketball head coach Bartzokas attended the game at the stadium to support the football club, which also announced the official transfer signing of Armando Gonzalez.
European football action
In the German Super Cup, Bayern Munich defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-1 to claim the trophy. Konstantelias and Karetsas both delivered standout performances during the match.
In Spain's La Liga, Real Madrid opened their domestic season with a 2-1 victory over Espanyol. Espi made a key save in the 90th minute to prevent an opening-day misstep for the Madrid club.
In Italian Serie A, Inter Milan earned a convincing 4-1 win over Monza, while striker Douvikas scored against Udinese. In the English Premier League, Brentford earned a 3-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur, with Leeds United, Ipswich Town and Everton also securing opening-day victories.
Tragic loss and club crisis
Former West Bromwich Albion player Kevin Castro died suddenly at the age of 25. Meanwhile in France, AS Monaco faces potential financial dissolution, with the club set a deadline of August 25 to secure an investment solution.
Organisers of the Sydney Marathon made a design error on their official finisher medals by depicting Munich's Allianz Arena instead of Sydney's Allianz Stadium.
Basketball and international sports
The Greece national basketball team defeated Poland 89-81 in a friendly match ahead of their upcoming FIBA World Cup qualifiers. Head coach Vassilis Spanoulis said after the victory that while there had been negative criticism surrounding the team, the players proved they unite in difficult circumstances. Former player Mike Batiste also returned to Panathinaikos, stating that he felt like he was back home.
At the Mediterranean Games, Greek swimmer Markos won a gold medal and set a new Greek national record in the men's 400m freestyle event. Greek swimmers Siskos and Ntountounaki also won gold medals in their respective events. Elsewhere, Giorgos Karagounis presented a gift to Tsouvelas during a video call featuring former football stars Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Claude Makelele.
