Leading pack unstoppable in superb Super League start
In the opening three rounds of the 2018/2019 Super League season, all of Greece’s so-called biggest five clubs have made a perfect start, winning their first three matches. AGONAsport investigates.
Incredibly, this is the first time since 1959 when AEK, Olympiacos, PAOK and Panathinaikos have won all of their opening three games in the domestic championship! Reigning champions AEK, who dropped a disappointing defeat to Ajax in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, have began their title defence in impressive fashion, beating PAS Giannina (2:0), Asteras Tripolis (1:0) and Panionios (4:0) without goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas conceding a single goal. The Athenians are now preparing for a tough stretch in the Super League in which they will play PAOK, OFI and Olympiacos in successive matches alongside their European commitments.
Olympiacos comfortably defeated Levadiakos (1:0) and PAS Giannina (5:0) in the first two rounds, but they were tested to the limit against Asteras Tripolis, with Israeli midfielder Bibars Natcho scoring a dramatic winning goal in injury time to snatch a nervy 2:1 victory at the Karaiskakis Stadium. Just like arch-rivals AEK and PAOK, the Erythrolefkoi are balancing the Super League with continental action, however they boast a large squad with real depth.
In late August, PAOK suffered Champions League heartbreak at the hands of Benfica, but they’ve recovered admirably to see off the challenge of Asteras Tripolis (1:0), Panionios (1:0) and OFI (3:1) to keep up with the leading pack. As a result of a punishment for the Ivan Savvidis scandal, PAOK were docked two points from the 2018/2019 Super League standings, but they have a chance to move ahead of AEK when they host the Enosis at the Toumba Stadium on Sunday. The Dikefalos tou Vorra are coming off the back of an underwhelming 0:1 setback to Chelsea in the UEFA Europa League while 10-man Olympiacos picked up a 0:0 draw with Real Betis in the same competition.
Due to punishments imposed because of their financial difficulties, Panathinaikos started the 2018/2019 Super League with a heavy six point deficit, but that didn’t dishearten the young Greens as they’ve come flying out of the blocks. Many expected Panathinaikos to lose at Xanthi, but they grabbed a deserved 1:0 victory, before beating PAS Lamia 1964 and AE Larissa both by a score of 3:1. Interestingly, the last time when Panathinaikos won their first three Super League matches was in the 2009/2010 campaign in which they ended up claiming an historic double.
This is Aris’ debut season back in the big time after finally returning to the elite level of Greek football, and in winning the maiden three matches against Lamia (3:0), AEL (2:0) and Levadiakos (2:0), they’ve become the first promoted team in 31 years to claim a maximum nine points in the opening three fixtures! Panserraikos achieved the same feat in the 1987/1988 season in tallying wins over Apollon Kalamarias (3:0), Diagoras Rodos (2:0) and Panathinaikos (1:0).
by Shaun Nicolaides
Image Source: sdna.gr
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