SLGR Matchday 3 Postseason Preview: Derby of the Eternal Enemies Headlines Weekend
Greek football’s biggest fixture is the headlining act of Matchday 3 of the Greek Super League postseason. Olympiacos and Panathinaikos are set to meet on Sunday at the Karaiskakis Stadium amidst a full slate of playoff and playout fixtures.
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Other important matches are set for Athens, Thessaloniki, Xanthi, Lamia, and Larisa.
Here is a daily breakdown and match-by-match preview of the round:
Saturday
PAOK - OFI
AEK - Aris
The weekend kicks off in Thessaloniki on Saturday where PAOK host OFI. Abel Ferreira’s side have experienced a below par start to the playoffs with a defeat to Olympiacos and further dropped points versus Panathinaikos last week. They will need to return to winning ways in their bid to grab second place (they are now two points behind AEK). OFI meanwhile have also had a poor start and are now in real danger of missing out on Europe as they remain in sixth place, three points behind Aris.
The second match on Saturday sees AEK welcome Aris to the Olympic Stadium in Athens. AEK have surpassed PAOK now in the battle for second place. The Kitrinomavri are two points ahead and will seek to keep or add to that advantage with a victory. While a win would be nice, even a point would suffice for Aris as they look favorites for the last European berth.
Sunday
Asteras Tripolis - Atromitos
Xanthi - Panetolikos
Olympiacos -Panathinaikos
The AGONAsport Match of the Week is Sunday’s late game that pits eternal enemies Olympiacos and Panathinaikos against each other at the Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus. Olympiacos’ win against Aris last weekend coupled with PAOK’s draw at Panathinaikos effectively ended any remaining remnants of a title race. Pedro Martins’ men will seek to continue their unbeaten season and add a bit of a cherry on top with a win over their historic rivals. Panathinaikos have more to play for as they continue to press for a higher table position.
Earlier in the day, two playout encounters start things off. In Tripoli, Asteras and Atromitos meet in a battle of two teams on the upper echelons of the playout table. These two sides just missed out on the playoffs and will be the favorites to finish top of the playout table.
The other playout fixture of the day is a crucial match between Xanthi and Panetolikos. With just two points separating the two teams at the foot of the table the result of this match could go some way in determining the relegation picture. An away win by Panetolikos could see them go five clear of the bottom two while a Xanthi victory could set up a real relegation dogfight heading into the latter stages of the postseason.
Monday
Larisa - Volos
Lamia - Panionios
Two playout matches on Monday round out Matchday 3. The Thessaly derby between Larisa and Volos starts the day. Larisa were abysmal in a 3-0 defeat to Panetolikos last week. After two losses to begin the playouts there is a necessity to get back on track against their local rivals. Volos meanwhile bounced back from defeat in their playout opener to slip past Xanthi 1-0 last weekend.
Lamia and Panionios are both undefeated in their playout campaigns thus far and meet in Lamia in Monday’s nightcap. While Lamia are purely playing for placing at this stage, Panionios are fighting for their top division lives. They are currently five points from safety, however they are just three points behind Xanthi for the relegation playoff spot. They have clawed back the deficit, but need to continue gathering points if they are to maintain hopes of survival.
