Olympiacos far superior to nearest Super League challengers
AGONAsport analyses the results between teams which qualified for the Super League playoffs, while also studying the situation in the playouts.
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In early March, the 2019/2020 Super League championship playoffs and relegation playouts were due to begin, but they were indefinitely postponed as a consequence of the coronavirus outbreak. The latest reports have stated that there is a strong possibility that they will eventually begin behind closed doors in June after teams return to training in May.
The regular season, which consisted of 26 rounds, ended on March 1.
Let’s take a look at the two halves of the table, analysing the results between the clubs which qualified for the playoffs and dropped into the playouts:
PLAYOFFS
Points total if we only take into account results between teams which qualified for the playoffs and ignore deductions:
Olympiacos, 24 points (7-3-0, +9)
PAOK, 13 points (3-4-3, +1)
AEK, 12 points (3-3-4, 0)
OFI, 11 points (3-2-5, -6)
Aris, 10 points (2-4-4, 0)
Panathinaikos, 10 points (2-4-4, -5)
Olympiacos’ superiority is quite clearly reflected in the standings. A cut above the rest, the Erythrolefki breezed to first place in the regular season, remaining undefeated in all 26 matches and winning seven out of 10 matches against PAOK, AEK, OFI, Aris and Panathinaikos. The fact that PAOK received a damaging seven-point deduction for their involvement in a multi-ownership case with Xanthi has practically confirmed that Olympiacos will become champions of Greece for the first time since 2017.
However, while Olympiacos are virtually home and dry, the clubs below them still have a lot to play for.
Unlike last year, reigning champions PAOK struggled in the big matches, only winning three of 10 games against teams in the top six. As a result of their seven-point deduction, PAOK now find themselves a mere single point ahead of third-placed AEK, who have improved greatly under the leadership of the intelligent Massimo Carrera. The race for UEFA Champions League football promises to be full of thrills and spills.
AEK finally snapped their painful 13-game winless streak in derbies when defeating Panathinaikos 1-0 at the Olympic Stadium in February. The Enosi were quickly knocked out of any potential title race at the start of the season after several poor results.
The surprise package of the season was surely OFI. In the previous campaign, the Cretans required a last-gasp goal to heroically avoid relegation to the second tier, but this time around OFI achieved impressive results while displaying an exciting, intense brand of football which has certainly yielded success. Moreover, OFI proved that they can compete on an even footing with the big guns, defeating AEK, Aris and Panathinaikos and giving a strong account of themselves against Olympiacos.
Aris, who had big expectations for the season, were disappointed to finish in sixth. At times, the Thessaloniki-based outfit showed promise while playing with endeavour, but inconsistency and a lack of a killer instinct meant that Michael Oenning’s men missed out on a podium challenge. Over in Athens, Panathinaikos gave their fans plenty of hope for the future throughout the campaign, notably beating both AEK and PAOK at home. Following a strong end to the regular season, Giorgos Donis’ troops are 10 points clear in fourth, but they are unlikely to catch AEK.
Panathinaikos will miss out on European football in the 2020/2021 season unless they can overturn the ban imposed by UEFA. All other teams will qualify for either the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League based on final positioning.
PLAYOUTS
Points total if we only take into account results between teams which qualified for the playouts and ignore deductions:
Asteras Tripolis, 25 points (7-4-3, +9)
Atromitos, 25 points (7-4-3, +8)
Xanthi, 21 points (6-3-5, -3)
Lamia, 20 points (4-8-2, +2)
AE Larissa, 18 points (4-6-4, +3)
Volos NFC, 16 points (4-4-6, -4)
Panionios, 14 points (4-2-8, -7)
Panetolikos, 10 points (1-7-6, -9)
Interestingly, Lamia only lost two out of their 14 matches against Asteras, Atromitos, Xanthi, AEL, Volos, Panionios and Panetolikos, but the large amount of draws let them down. Panetolikos, languishing in 13th spot of the standings, drew seven times in games with the same opponents while tallying just the one victory. The Agrinio outfit finished the regular season with 17 points.
At one point, Xanthi even seemed to be pushing for a playoff berth as they famously defeated AEK and Panathinaikos in Athens, but a 12-point deduction for their participation in the multi-ownership scandal has put them in real danger of relegation. With 18 points on the board, Xanthi are only a single point above Panetolikos, and the latter will fancy their chances of hauling themselves to safety. As it stands, the club in 13th position will compete in a playoff against the second-placed Super League 2 team for a spot in the 2020/2021 Super League, while the club at the foot of the table suffers immediate relegation. Panionios, hit by a six-point deduction for their lack of a licence, are six points adrift in 14th. All of Panionios’ four victories this season were achieved in matches against teams in the playouts.
Atromitos, two points behind Aris, were deflated to miss out on the playoffs. Nevertheless, they will certainly be in the Super League next season, and the same can probably be said for AEL, Asteras, Lamia and Volos.
