OFI missing the shine
AGONAsport’s AEK contributor, Greg Gavalas, discusses OFI’s dire performance at the weekend in the Super League playoffs.
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Following their flying start to the 2019/2020 season, OFI struggled at times during the second half of the Super League regular season, poor form which has continued into the playoffs after play resumed. OFI have now suffered two successive defeats to Aris and AEK in the first two rounds of the championship playoffs.
The new calendar year has seen OFI win just three games in the league, notably conceding comprehensive defeats to AEK, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and PAOK. In stark contrast, OFI had managed to slay Athenian giants AEK and Panathinaikos in the first half of the season, while putting up brave fights in losses to Olympiacos and PAOK.
In the second round, though, Olympiacos enjoyed a comfortable win in Crete, whilst AEK and PAOK were big winners in Athens and Thessaloniki, 3-0 and 4-0 respectively.
Injuries have played a part in this decline, as well as player form. OFI’s midfield combos where playing nice flowing football earlier on in the season but as player after player got injured this took a toll, one of the few players to remain fit is
Argentine, Juan Niera, a star for most of the season in 2019, his flowing game is not been there for most of 2020.
For example, Juan Neira hasn’t been quite the same in 2020, failing to compete with consistency.
Kosmas Tsilianidis, who was experiencing the season of his life, is still on the sidelines with an ankle injury. When he does eventually return to the pitch, he should spark some life back into this OFI side.
After competing against Aris in Thessaloniki, the English midfielder contrived to receive an injury during training, and his presence was certainly lacking in the defeat to AEK on Sunday. As a consequence, Lisandro Semedo was used on the left flank, but his form has been somewhat ordinary in recent weeks. Joao Figueiredo lacked service and couldn’t trouble the AEK defence, apart from when he smacked the crossbar towards the end of the first half.
OFI’s poor passing and lack of intensity allowed AEK to enjoy a routine day at work in Heraklion.
Nevertheless, the light at the end of the tunnel is that the team is already guaranteed to be back in Europe for the first time in 20 years, and with the off-season looking to be short, the biggest Cretan club will hope to be in better form when their continental adventure subsequently begins.
