SLGR Matchday 17 Preview: Dual derbies take center stage
AGONAsport’s George Tsitsonis previews matchday 17 of the 2019/20 Greek SuperLeague.
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Two of Greek football’s biggest derbies are set to take place during this weekend’s Matchday 17 action. Olympiacos-Panathinaikos and Aris-PAOK headline an exciting round, where the results could see a real shakeup in the Greek Super League 1 standings. The first weekend of play of the New Year has received the go-ahead after a potential referee strike was avoided on Wednesday.
Below is a day-by-day breakdown of this weekend’s matches.
Saturday
OFI-Volos
Aris-PAOK
Atromitos-Asteras Tripolis
The Thessaloniki derby between Aris and PAOK is the highlight of Saturday’s schedule. PAOK have taken over the top spot in the table and will be seeking to extend their unbeaten run which now stretches to 51 matches. Aris have found consistency hard to come by during the current campaign. They will hope to raise their game as they did against PAOK earlier this season where they were denied a famous win in the latter stages of the derby at Toumba Stadium.
Elsewhere on Saturday, the day begins in Crete as OFI play host to Volos. OFI have been the welcome surprises of the Super League 1 season along with Larisa and find themselves in fourth position. A top-six place is certainly the target, but there is little separating them from a Volos side in eleventh (only five points between the two teams). Volos’ target is merely to stay in the division. In order to do so they may have to improve on their away form where they have picked up only four points from eight matches.
The last game to kick-off will be Atromitos’ match-up with Asteras Tripolis. The two sides had contrasting finishes to 2019 with ninth-placed Atromitos suffering a 5-1 loss to Asteras while the Tripoli club impressively demolished Xanthi 5-0.
Sunday
AEK-Panetolikos
Xanthi-Larisa
Panionios-Lamia
Olympiacos-Panathinaikos
Greek football’s traditionally highest-profile derby is set for Sunday evening when ‘eternal enemies’ Olympiacos and Panathinaikos clash at the Karaiskakis Stadium in the AGONAsport Match of the Week. It will perhaps not be a vintage derby in the sense that Olympiacos will have to play this game without supporters due to recent crowd trouble. It should make for something of an eerie backdrop to one of the most anticipated matches of the Greek football calendar.
Olympiacos will be searching for nothing but the victory in order to keep pace with PAOK at the top of the standings. After leading the league most of the season, Pedro Martins’ side relinquished their stranglehold on first place during the last round when PAOK won and Olympiacos could only draw at Volos. After one of the worst starts in the club’s history, Panathinaikos have rebounded to the brink of the top six in recent weeks. European football would be a satisfactory achievement should Giorgos Donis’ team make the playoffs and finish in the top five.
AEK’s recent revival could get another boost when they take on second from bottom Panetolikos in Sunday’s early kick-off. The Kitrinomavri are undefeated in three matches under new manager Massimo Carerra, though they did struggle to find a breakthrough against Lamia in a 0-0 draw last time out.
Elsewhere, two other matches help kick off the first round of 2020. Xanthi host Larisa in a battle of top-six hopefuls. Xanthi have struggled mightily after starting the season in fine form. Larisa meanwhile were big relegation candidates who have done well to find themselves in fifth at this stage. Panionios and Lamia meet up in Nea Smyrni with Panionios hoping to climb out of last place with a win. A terrible run to begin the season has been overturned by Lamia who now harbor realistic hopes of a shot at the top six.
