SLGR Standings: PAOK take major step towards securing second

PAOK ended Olympiacos’ unbeaten run to move a step closer towards securing second spot of the Super League playoffs, while Panetolikos put Panionios on the brink of relegation with a crucial victory in Nea Smyrni.

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PLAYOFFS

Last week, it seemed that PAOK had lost nearly all hope of qualifying for the 2020/2021 UEFA Champions League, but all of a sudden the Dikefalos tou Vorra are back in business. Following the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport to scrap the seven-point deduction, PAOK promptly became the first team to defeat Olympiacos in the 2019/2020 Super League campaign, earning a potentially decisive 1-0 victory in Piraeus thanks to Enea Mihaj’s late header. 

Earlier in the day, AEK proved too strong for Panathinaikos in the Athenian derby, emerging victorious by a score of 3-1 with Dmytro Chygrynskiy, Nelson Oliveira and Daniele Verde - with a penalty - securing the points for Massimo Carrera’s troops. However, with PAOK also winning, AEK now have to beat last year’s champions on Wednesday to retain hope of finishing in second spot.

On Saturday, Aris snapped their four-game losing streak, beating OFI 1-0 in Heraklion with Giannis Fetfatzidis scoring the only goal of the match in the 14th minute. Aris are now five points clear of OFI in fifth position.

PLAYOUTS

Panionios are on the verge of demotion. When hosting Panetolikos in Nea Smyrni, the Panthers simply had to claim the three points, but they contrived to concede a lacklustre 2-0 defeat against their visitors. With only one round of the playouts remaining, Panetolikos cannot be automatically relegated, but Panionios trail Xanthi by one point at the bottom of the table. On the final matchday, Panionios will face Atromitos in Peristeri, while Xanthi will take on AE Larissa away from home.

Xanthi complicated their survival bid as they lost 2-1 to playout leaders Asteras Tripolis. This year, due to the fact that the Super League 2 ended prematurely, it’s expected that no relegation/promotion playoff will take place. As a consequence, there is a strong possibility that only the club at the foot of the Super League standings will be relegated. 

Elsewhere, Atromitos kept the heat on Asteras with a dramatic 3-2 victory in Volos, while Lamia and AEL played to a somewhat uneventful 0-0 draw.

Player of the Week: Giorgos Manousos (Atromitos)

The 32-year-old forward is experiencing the season of his life. In superb form, Manousos grabbed an impressive hat trick against Volos NFC, with all of his three goals being registered during the first half of proceedings. Manousos now boasts a large tally of 14 goals across the Super League regular season and playouts.

Goal of the Week: Giannis Fetfatzidis (Aris)

Since returning to the squad, Fetfatzidis has displayed his quality on the field for Aris, scoring twice in two games. In Heraklion, the gifted winger netted a fantastic goal to give his team the victory, completing a flowing move by carefully sliding the ball into the far left corner. 

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