TRINIDAD and Tobago international winger Levi Garcia continued his thriving season, scoring twice on Sunday, including an equaliser deep into stoppage time, helping AEK to a crucial 2-2 home draw against title rivals Panathinaikos.

Garcia, Athens' top scorer with eight for the campaign, opened the scoring in the 24th minute after beating the offside trap from a ball delivered by Damian Szymanski from deep inside their half, dropping the defenders with pace, and striking confidently past the goalkeeper and into the top left-hand corner.

Panathinaikos responded six minutes later when defender Tin Jedvag found the target with an unmarked header from a free kick.

Garcia put the ball in the back of the net again from a counter attack in the 58th minute, after another stride and neat finish, but was ruled offside.

Instead, the visitors took the lead after Jedvag's defensive partner Willian Arao scored from close range from another set-piece.

Garcia, who scored with a header in AEK's last league outing, nearly made something from nothing, connecting with a diving effort and guiding the ball at an acute angle about two feet wide of the post.

AEK enjoyed most of the possession and chances and were eventually rewarded in the final moments of the match, when a strike from Garcia in the opponent's box deflected off a defender's arm, resulting in a penalty. Garcia stepped up and struck it with venom past the Panathinaikos goalkeeper Cican Stankovic, who guessed the right way but got nowhere near the ball.

Garcia now has seven goals in his last five league matches.

He sits third in the league goalscorer chart with eight goals, behind Loren Morón of Aris and Juan Miritello of Asteras Tripolis with ten and nine, respectively.

The draw put AEK on 39 points, two behind surprise leaders PAOK and Panathinaikos.

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