SLGR Matchday 1 Preview: Champions and title favorites in home starts
AGONAsport’s George Tsitsonis previews matchday 1 of the 2019/20 Greek SuperLeague.
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This new season sees the league trimmed down to fourteen clubs and will also feature a revamped playoff system to decide the champions, European places, and relegated teams.
PAOK begin the season as defending champions and the slight favorites to win the title again. They open up the season at Toumba Stadium in the AGONAsport Match of the Week against Panetolikos. The champs have had a tumultuous summer with former manager Razvan Lucescu leaving the club in order to continue his career in Saudi Arabia. It was a surprise move, but PAOK acted quickly and installed Abel Ferreira as head coach. Panetolikos meanwhile also enter the new season with a different manager. Traianos Dellas resigned at the end of last season and Portuguese boss Luis Castro took his place. The Agrinio side will aim to do better than their 9th place finish from 2018/19.
Olympiacos will be seeking to win their first league title in three seasons. Pedro Martins’ men face off against Asteras Tripolis at home to start the campaign. Olympiacos have been impressive in Europe thus far and will attempt to keep their good form intact as they play host at the Karaiskakis Stadium. Asteras have made a raft of new signings in the transfer market, but their most intriguing new addition may be seated in the dugout. 34-year-old Borja Jimenez is the club’s newest boss. It should be fascinating watching to see how the league’s youngest manager does in his first time coaching outside Spain.
AEK also have a new head coach as Portuguese manager Miguel Cardoso has arrived at the club. League champions in 2017/18, AEK struggled to rediscover that form last season and will be banking on Cardoso putting together a side capable of challenging for the title. It does appear AEK are still well behind PAOK and Olympiacos with respect to the title conversation. However, with the high expectation and pressure on those clubs to deliver, perhaps AEK could capitalize should they hit the ground running. Xanthi are yet another team with a new coach. Kiko Ramirez was appointed last May after recent stints with Sabadell and Wisla Krakow. The aim for Xanthi will surely be at least a midtable finish. Last season the club flirted with relegation and will be seeking improvement in the new season.
The new head coach trend covers both sides as Atromitos and Larisa clash on the first matchday. Former Panathinaikos and Omonia boss Giannis Anastasiou takes over after Damir Canadi’s successful spell at Atromitos. The Peristeri club have been highly impressive in the last two seasons and will have their sights set once again on European football. Larisa have endured a somewhat chaotic summer with a snap coaching change recently. Apparently upset over a friendly performance against PAS Giannina, Larisa supremo Alexis Kougias gave Gordon Petric the sack and hired Michalis Grigoriou.
Panathinaikos face a tricky opening round trip away to Lamia. Giorgos Donis’ young guns were highly praised during the first half of last season for their positive and energetic displays. The second half of the campaign saw a dip in form, but there is optimism that despite the club’s difficult financial state, the young talent will provide hope for the coming season. Lamia were one of the surprise teams of last year’s Super League with a superb seventh place finish and a run to the Greek Cup semis. However, it has been a summer of real change at the club with owner Panourgias Papaioannou leaving his post after eight years and manager Makis Chavos following soon after. Sotiris Antoniou is the new boss in charge and it remains to be seen how the changes affect the club.
Two more matches round off the first week schedule. Aris play host to OFI at the Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium and Panionios host Volos. Aris did extremely well to pick up a European berth in their first season back in the top flight in 2018/19. With the signing of Brown Ideye amongst others they have shown a willingness to pick up where they left off. OFI needed a dramatic victory over Platanias in a promotion/relegation play-off in order to stay in the top division. The hope is that this season they can steer clear of the relegation places and not find themselves in a similar position as last year.
Panionios and Volos meet in Nea Smyrni and are two sides many have tabbed to be fighting against relegation this season. Panionios did actually finish sixth last season, however there is the prevailing belief that the club are on a downward trend. Volos have come up the top-flight based on their winning last season’s Football League (now Super League 2). Manager Juan Ferrando will have his work cut out for him in order to keep his team away from a relegation scrap.
