OAKA meeting crucial in battle for Champions League football
It promises to be a dramatic evening at the Olympic Stadium in the Super League, with AEK and PAOK locked in a pulsating battle for second place of the standings and a berth in the 2020/2021 UEFA Champions League.
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The fight for Champions League football is going down to the wire. With two rounds remaining, PAOK hold a three-point advantage over AEK in second place of the Super League, but the Dikefalos tou Vorra must claim at least a point at the OAKA on Wednesday if they are to keep their destiny in their own hands. If the two teams end the 2019/2020 campaign level on points, AEK will finish above PAOK in the table due to their superior head-to-head record.
Second place of the Super League grants a berth in the 2020/2021 Champions League second qualifying round. Olympiacos will enter the Champions League at the third qualification stage as Greek champions.
In a blow to PAOK manager Abel Ferreira, Omar El Kaddouri, Dimitris Pelkas, Lazaros Lamprou, Douglas Augusto and Josip Misic are all unavailable for selection. AEK boss Massimo Carerra, on the other hand, is happy to welcome Christos Almpanis back from injury.
Let’s take a look at the scenarios for second place of the Super League ahead of the duel in Athens:
SCENARIOS
In the event that AEK defeat PAOK on Wednesday, they will only have to match the Dikefalos tou Vorra’s result on matchday 10 in order to secure second;
In the event that the two teams play to a draw at the OAKA, PAOK will only need one point from their final match against Aris in order to secure second. If PAOK subsequently lose to Aris at the weekend, AEK will overtake them with a victory against Olympiacos in Piraeus;
In the event that PAOK defeat AEK on Wednesday, they will seal second place with a round to spare.
CURRENT PLAYOFF TABLE
Olympiacos, 85 points
PAOK, 71 points
AEK, 68 points
Panathinaikos, 52 points
Aris, 41 points
OFI, 36 points
SCHEDULE FOR FINAL TWO PLAYOFF ROUNDS*
ROUND 9
Aris - Panathinaikos (19:15)
OFI - Olympiacos (19:15)
AEK - PAOK (21:30)
ROUND 10
Olympiacos - AEK (20:00)
Panathinaikos - OFI (20:00)
PAOK - Aris (20:00)
*All times local
