SLGR Preview Part 1: Main three title contenders
In the first of a three-part series, AGONAsport previews the 2019/2020 Super League season, starting with the main title contenders.
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The Super League is back! At the weekend, the highly-anticipated 2019/2020 campaign begins, with PAOK, Olympiacos and AEK holding the tag as the main favourites for the title. PAOK want to keep the trophy in Thessaloniki, Olympiacos are hungry for silverware again, while AEK must make a huge improvement as they prepare for their grand return to Nea Filadelfeia next year.
Let’s take a more detailed look at the three clubs in question:
PAOK
The season has already started on a negative note for PAOK. Nevertheless, despite their failure to reach the group stages of the UEFA Champions League, the Dikefalos tou Vorra will be full of motivation to keep the Super League trophy in Thessaloniki.
PAOK have certainly set the bar high for themselves in Greece. Last year, they simply dominated the Super League, winning 26 out of 30 matches to storm to the crown while remaining unbeaten. While it’s unheard of to go two consecutive seasons undefeated, PAOK have a strong enough squad to make a title bid, and you can be sure that the intimidating Toumba Stadium will remain a fortress.
In truth, it’s been a testing summer transfer window for the Thessaloniki-based organisation. Completely out of the blue, head coach Razvan Lucescu suddenly decided to leave for Saudi Arabia, while PAOK also lost key midfielders Jose Canas and Yevhen Shakhov. PAOK must be given credit for immediately hiring the highly-rated Abel Ferreira as their new coach and signing Rodrigo Soares, Anderson Esiti and Miroslav Stoch to give their squad a well-needed boost.
All of the signs are pointing towards a titanic battle between PAOK and Olympiacos. This time around, it will be a lot harder for PAOK to keep the powerful Erythrolefki at bay, but they’re ready for the fight.
In: Rodrigo Soares, Nikos Melissas, Enea Mihaj, Dimitris Meliopoulos, Zivko Zivkovic, Miroslav Stoch, Douglas Augusto, Anderson Esiti.
Out: Jose Canas, Yevhen Shakhov, Efthymis Koulouris, Charis Charisis, Giannis Mystakidis, Stelios Kitsiou, Panagiotis Glykos, Pedro Henrique, Dimitris Chatziisaias, Yevhen Khacheridi, Lefteris Lyratzis, Nikos Karelis.
OLYMPIACOS
The Erythrolefki are on a mission. Two successive seasons without a trophy is a disappointment, but if that was to increase to three, it would be considered a disaster. Olympiacos have been smart on the transfer market this summer and have long been playing some of the best football in the country.
The key to the new calm, united atmosphere within the club is the patience being shown to head coach Pedro Martins. Even though Olympiacos didn’t win a trophy in the 2018/2019 season, his job wasn’t in danger, with owner Evangelos Marinakis acknowledging Martins’ efforts in Piraeus. Olympiacos are playing free-flowing, exciting football, and the in-fighting has stopped. Every player understands their role within this team, with Martins always sticking to his effective 4-2-3-1 formation.
The worst news for Olympiacos in the off-season has been the anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered by captain Kostas Fortounis. The gifted attacking midfielder will return to action in early 2020.
On a positive note, veteran Frenchman Mathieu Valbuena has been performing well as Fortounis’ replacement, impressing in the Champions League wins against Viktoria Plzen and Basaksehir.
If Olympiacos do manage to fire on all cylinders on a regular basis in the Super League - especially in the matches against direct title opponents - they are the team to beat. Time will tell how they can balance Super League football with the Champions League (in the event Olympiacos qualify for the group stage).
In: Mathieu Valbuena, Hillal Soudani, Felipe Bruno, Fjorin Durmishaj, Bjorn Cuypers, Lazar Randjelovic, Ruben Semedo, Marios Siampanis, Ousseynou Ba, Youssef El Arabi, Bobby Allain, Svetozar Markovic.
Out: Ahmed Hassan, Andreas Gianniotis, Bibars Natcho, Dimitris Manos, Manolis Saliakas, Lefteris Choutesiotis, Gil Dias, Frederick Miranda, Yury Lodygin.
AEK
Having endured a thoroughly underwhelming 2018/2019 season, the pressure is on AEK to make a vast improvement ahead of their grand return to Nea Filadelfeia next summer. The Agia Sofia Stadium is due to be ready for the start of the 2019/2020 campaign.
Can AEK realistically challenge for the Super League title? At this moment in time, PAOK and Olympiacos appear to be in a league of their own, but the Kitrinomavri must never be ruled out. And they do have the intelligent Miguel Cardoso at the helm.
Cardoso, 47, has expressed his desire for AEK to play good, technical football while winning at the same time. AEK have developed a certain Portuguese look since Cardoso replaced Manolo Jimenez as head coach, securing the signatures of Paulinho, Francisco Geraldes, David Simao and Nelson Oliveira. The latter has been signed as a direct replacement for lethal goalscorer Ezequiel Ponce, who joined Russian giants Spartak Moscow after starring for AEK.
Another positive sign is AEK’s much more effective transfer business in comparison to previous years.
The question is whether AEK will be able to re-discover that stability and pure determination which inspired the club to the 2017/2018 Super League crown. If they can, AEK are capable of going toe-to-toe with PAOK and Olympiacos, but if not, another season of mediocrity awaits.
In: Alen Sabanadzovic, Paulinho, Giorgos Athanasiadis, Ognjen Vranjes, David Simao, Francisco Geraldes, Milos Deletic, Daniele Verde, Nelson Oliveira.
Out: Ezequiel Ponce, Alef, Vasilis Lampropoulos, Rodrigo Galo, Tasos Bakasetas, Giannis Gianniotas, Serafeim Giannikoglou, Lucas Boye, Giorgos Giannoutsos.
