SLGR Matchday 20 Preview: Top two face challenging away ties
AGONAsport’s George Tsitsonis previews matchday 20 of the 2019/20 Greek SuperLeague.
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A midweek edition of the 2019/20 Greek Super League 1 will see matches across Greece take place on Wednesday and Thursday as part of Matchday 20. Away trips for the top sides in the division are the highlights of the round with Olympiacos travelling to Crete while PAOK head south to Lamia. AEK hravel to Thessaly to meet up with Volos while Panathinaikos are the only top four team at home as they host Atromitos.
Below is a day-by-day breakdown of this weekend’s matches.
Wednesday
Larisa-Panetolikos
OFI-Olympiacos
Volos-AEK
Panathinaikos-Atromitos
The midweek round kicks off with four matches on Wednesday. The early kick-off sees two strugglers clash as Larisa host Panetolikos. The home side will be keen to pick up the three points at the AEL FC Arena considering they are in the midst of a poor run which has seen them win just once in their last seven matches. The visitors are performing even worse with just a solitary win to their name in the Super League 1 all season. Larisa are only three points off of a spot in the top six and the Championship playoffs set to follow the regular season and thus a victory is of great importance to the Vissini.
Next up on Wednesday is the AGONAsport Match of the Week that pits OFI against Olympiacos. The Cretan side has been a traditionally difficult opponent for Olympiacos especially on the big island. OFI were as high as third in the table before enduring a terrible run to end 2019. However the hope of all at the club is that is all behind them after the 2-1 away win over Panionios last weekend. Olympiacos showed how potent they were in attack with a four-goal showing versus Aris on Sunday. Manager Pedro Martins was concerned about the defensive performance and undoubtedly will be expecting his team to produce a better performance at the back against OFI. With a narrow one-point lead over PAOK, the Erythrolefki will be looking for only a victory in order to remain top of the Super League 1 standings.
AEK and Panathinaikos feature in the day’s other kick-offs. AEK will surely receive a test away to Volos. The Kitrinomavri had little trouble in disposing of Larisa in their last match and will be keen to put together a series of good results with another victory on Wednesday. Volos have performed better than expected this season since being promoted from the Football League. The Thessaly side are prone to bouts of erratic form and are a difficult side to predict though they are undoubtedly a stronger proposition at home.
After an emotionally draining Greek Cup victory last week over PAS Giannina, Panathinaikos face Atromitos in Wednesday’s late kick-off looking like a completely different side than the one of just a week ago. Then, down 2-0 on aggregate to PAS and facing an early elimination in the Cup, Giorgos Donis and his players may not have been faulted for questioning the downward spiral of their season. A dramatic comeback win to defeat PAS followed and then a difficult midweek win away to Xanthi. Suddenly the atmosphere has changed at the club. Now fourth, another victory would further solidify the team’s chances of locking down fourth place. Atromitos will be no pushovers and they too have all to play for. One of a number of sides trying to claim fifth or sixth place, the Peristeri side could only disappointingly draw at home to Volos on Sunday.
Thursday
Asteras Tripolis-Panionios
Lamia-PAOK
Aris-Xanthi
Matchday 20 is completed by three matches on Thursday. For starters, a bottom-of-the-table duel between Asteras Tripolis and Panionios is on tap in Tripoli. Panionios’ form is of great concern as the Nea Smyrni club have lost six matches in succession. They are rooted at the bottom of the league table and desperately need points in order to make up lost ground. Asteras are better placed than their upcoming opponents, but they too are struggling with just two victories out of their last eleven league matches.
If Olympiacos trip up in Crete, PAOK will look to capitalize with a win at Lamia. Abel Ferreira’s team have done well in recent times away to Lamia and will expect to keep that streak alive, one that includes consecutive wins there in the last two seasons. Could it be different this time though? Perhaps, if the right Lamia side show up. Winless in their first eight matches, Lamia staged a wonderful turnaround to then win four from five before dropping off again. Their latest dip has Akis Mantzios’ men winning just one of their last six.
The final match of the round takes place in Thessaloniki and is Thursday’s late game to be contested between Aris and Xanthi. The two sides just came through a pair of hard-fought Greek Cup matches that saw Aris emerge as 3-1 aggregate winners. Indeed, Aris have had the better of the two teams’ meetings in the last few seasons. Still, at the moment the teams are tied for sixth on 26 points and each continue to chase a top six spot. Both teams are coming off of weekend defeats. Aris losing at Olympiacos 4-2 and Xanthi unable to avoid defeat at home to Panathinaikos 1-0.
