Resurgent Panathinaikos host vulnerable PAOK
SUPER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 22
A resurgent Panathinaikos outfit host a ‘vulnerable’ PAOK at OAKA on Sunday evening in the headline fixture in Matchday 22 of the Greek Super League.
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The difference a month makes - Panathinaikos are buzzing after winning five games in a row (in all competitions), meanwhile PAOK have been rocked by a massive scandal during the week that will severely impact their hopes of clinching consecutive titles. The Committee of Professional Sports initially recommended that both PAOK and Xanthi should be relegated due to violating the rule of ‘multi-ownership.’ However, since then, the Government has preferred to remove relegation as a punishment. Consequently, a hefty point deduction looks more probable.
PAOK came into matchday 22 sitting at the top of the ladder on 52 points, one point ahead of Olympiacos (Olympiacos are now in first after defeating Xanthi on Saturday). While the decision does not appear to be made imminently, the effect of this off-field situation will surely impact the performances of the playing group. It will either galvanise the squad and make them become even more united, or it could have the opposite effect and morale drops.
Consistency has been a key feature of PAOK’s success in the last two seasons - they have only lost once and keep finding ways to win, even when they are not at their best. Last week’s win over Volos is testament to that, as a penalty from the inspirational captain Andre Vieirinha sealed a vital 1-0 win.
In stark contrast, Panathinaikos are flying, and things are genuinely looking up for the club for the first time in years. Xavi Roca has pulled off several great signings given the low budget at his disposal - Anuar Tuhami, Dominik Nagy, Yassin Ayoub, and Carlitos. All additions would fit in at title-challenging clubs, and the first two have impressed in their first few outings for the club. Carlitos is unable to play this season, but his signature is a huge statement of intent.
On top of this, Panathinaikos have gone to a new level on the field, and the goals have come. The Prasini have scored nine goals in its last four league matches and have only conceded once in the process. The return of Ghayas Zahid in his natural attacking midfield role in the hole has given the Greens another dimension. Federico Macheda, dropped for the last match (a 0-2 win on the road at Larissa), is also beginning to find his scoring feet. The centre-back pairing of Bart Schenkeveld and Achilleas Poungouras continues to hold out opposing attackers in a miserly manner.
Panathinaikos hold the overall advantage in this derby, however, PAOK have dominated in the last couple of seasons. The Thessaloniki outfit have been challenging at the top, whereas Panathinaikos have languished lower down the ladder due to financial issues. The last time these two rivals met, the Trifylli shocked PAOK at Toumba in a pulsating derby that ended 2-2. Giorgos Donis was banned from standing on the sidelines for his post-match rant as he felt aggrieved at the controversial refereeing decisions, particularly the late penalty awarded to PAOK. This clash is expected to have the same feeling, but a Panathinaikos side high on confidence may look to chance their arm and attack the visitors from the beginning in a bid to continue their strong form.
Ironically, these two bitter rivals face each other three times in the space of the next 10 days due to being drawn to face off in the quarter-final stage of the Greek Cup.
Team News - Panathinaikos
A consistent starting side, especially in defence, has been key to the Greens’ rise up the ladder. This is expected to continue on Sunday night as the Trifylli enter this match at full strength, without a single injury worry. Several first team players such as Federico Macheda and Emanuel Insua missed the match at Larissa, but both are tipped to play a role at OAKA. There is now a genuine competition for places, particularly in midfield as new signings in Anuar Tuhami and Dominiki Nagy are performing well.
Possible starting line-up: Dioudis, Johansson, Schenkeveld, Poungouras, Insua, Kourbelis, C.Donis, Chatzigiovanis, Zahid, Nagy, Macheda.
Team News - PAOK
On the other hand, PAOK are dealing with several injuries to key players. As a result, the visitors will be without Omar El Kaddouri, Leo Jaba, Pontus Wernbloom, Jose Angel Crespo, Miroslav Stoch and Giannis Michailidis. Leo Matos is expected to slot straight into the starting line up after being included in the squad. Both teams enjoy utilising a 4-2-3-1 formation, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out.
Possible starting line-up: Zivkovic, Matos, Ingason, Varela, Giannoulis, Esiti, Mauricio, Vieirinha, Misic, Limnios, Swiderski.
Referee - Aliyar Aghayev (Azerbaijan)
Aliyar Aghayev of Azerbaijan has been selected as the referee for Sunday night’s encounter at OAKA. The 32-year-old is no stranger to Greek football as he officiated a match in Greece last season between PAOK and Atromitos. He became a FIFA-listed referee in 2013 and has officiated several UEFA Europa League group stage matches over the last 5 years. He also officiated numerous international matches on the European front - last year he oversaw two UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers (Poland vs Latvia and Faroe Islands vs Romania). Aghayev also held the whistle for the UEFA Euro U19 final in 2016 between France and Italy.
