Final push for Super League survival
Apollon Smyrnis have already officially been relegated, but with four rounds remaining in the 2018/2019 season, seven other clubs are battling to protect their Super League status.
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The proposed changes to Greek club football have made the survival battle even more exciting. This season, three Super League teams suffer automatic demotion, while the 13th placed club will compete against the second best 2018/2019 Football League side in a relegation/promotion playoff. The Super League 2, a newly created competition, will be the second tier in the 2019/2020 campaign.
Lowly Apollon Smyrnis have already fallen through the trap door. In what has been a shocking campaign, the Rizoupoli outfit are rooted to the bottom of the Super League standings, tallying a mere 10 points in 26 matches. So far, Apollon have only won the two matches, while registering four draws and a large 20 defeats. Reported problems behind the scenes have taken their toll on the historic club.
Levadiakos, sitting above Apollon in 15th spot, are in severe danger of dropping down from the top tier. Recently, it seemed Levadiakos were embarking on another Great Escape, but they have since conceded three consecutive defeats. The Levadeia team are now six points away from exiting the automatic drop zone, and after losing to direct rivals PAS Giannina 0:2 at the weekend, their survival chances have become rather slim.
The future of OFI doesn’t appear particularly bright either. Asides from being handed a punishment of relegation for match fixing (which is subject to an appeal), the Cretans are languishing in 14th position of the standings with four wins, 10 draws and 12 defeats across their 26 games. OFI are the only team yet to win an away match in the Super League this season, and following the 1:3 defeat to Aris on matchday 25, they now trail PAS Giannina by four points as they look to avoid automatic relegation. OFI play attractive football on a regular basis with the likes of Felipe Souza and Juan Neira in their team, but their poor finishing has cost their dear. 22 shots, three posts and zero goals in a 0:0 draw against Apollon Smyrnis in Athens perfectly displayed their woes.
PAS Giannina’s chances of staying in the Super League have increased. Unbeaten in four successive games, PAS have now pulled away from OFI and Levadiakos in 13th spot, and they’re closing in on moving out of the relegation/promotion playoff berth. Only one point separates Asteras Tripolis and PAS at the moment, and in the 28th round, the two clubs will play against each other at the Zosmisades Stadium. A match which presents an ideal opportunity for PAS to climb to safety.
As for Asteras, it’s turned out to be a disappointing, underwhelming season which started with the UEFA Europa League qualifiers and could end with relegation. Even if they fall into the relegation/promotion playoff, Asteras should certainly have enough quality to emerge victorious, but the very fact they’re facing this possibility is worrying. Upcoming games against Levadiakos, PAS, OFI and Panionios will decide their fate, and they have little room for error.
Stuttering Xanthi and Panionios find themselves stuck on 29 points amid fears for their safety. In the current campaign, Xanthi have endured serious struggles in front of goal, only scoring a combined 17 times in 26 matches and having gone through a streak of netting one marker in nine Super League matches. Panionios have flirted with the relegation zone throughout the season, but every time they seem to be in freefall, they have a handy knack of picking up positive results.
Improving AEL are four points ahead of PAS, but in their final four matches, they will play Panionios (A), PAOK (H), AEK (A) and Olympiacos (H). Such a horrible run-in could throw their survival bid completely off course.
Panetolikos and Lamia, both on 33 points, should be safe with only four matches to go. The same can be said for Athenian giants Panathinaikos with 32 points (three points were deducted for the incidents witnessed in the Eternal Derby against Olympiacos).
2018/2019 Super League standings between 6th and 16th:
6. Panetolikos, 33 points
7. Lamia, 33 points
8. Panathinaikos, 32 points*
9. AEL, 30 points
10. Panionios, 29 points
11. Xanthi, 29 points
12. Asteras Tripolis, 27 points
13. PAS Giannina, 26 points
14. OFI, 22 points
15. Levadiakos, 20 points
16. Apollon Smyrnis, 10 points
*Result pending for Panathinaikos-Olympiacos match, Panathinaikos deducted three points for crowd trouble in the game in question
Remaining matches in 2018/2019 Super League season for relegation battling teams:
LEVADIAKOS
Asteras Tripolis (A)
Panionios (H)
PAOK (A)
AEK (A)
OFI
PAS Giannina (H)
Panathinaikos (A)
Asteras Tripolis (H)
Atromitos (A)
PAS GIANNINA
OFI (A)
Asteras Tripolis (H)
Panionios (A)
PAOK (H)
ASTERAS TRIPOLIS
Levadiakos (H)
PAS Giannina (A)
OFI (A)
Panionios (H)
XANTHI
AEK (H)
Olympiacos (A)
Apollon Smyrnis (H)
Aris (A)
PANIONIOS
AEL (H)
Levadiakos (A)
PAS Giannina (H)
Asteras Tripolis (A)
AEL
Panionios (A)
PAOK (H)|
AEK (A)
Olympiacos (H)
