SLGR Matchday 12 Preview: Top Two In Massive Derby Tilt

AGONAsport’s George Tsitsonis previews matchday 12 of the 2019/20 Greek SuperLeague.

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Olympiacos and PAOK clash at the Karaiskakis Stadium on Sunday night in a huge derby which could ultimately play a key role in the title. That is the clear highlight of Matchday 12 of the Greek Super League 1. While the co-leaders contest that match, AEK and OFI, ranked third and fourth in the table respectively, meet in Crete while a Thessaly derby will be contested on Saturday when Larisa host Volos. 

Below is a daily breakdown of the weekend’s matches:

Saturday

Larisa - Volos

Panionios - Panetolikos

OFI - AEK

The weekend begins with what promises to be a fiery meeting at the AEL FC Arena between Larisa and Volos. This will be the first Thessaly derby in a few years in the top-flight and both sides will be keen to pick up the victory. Larisa are seventh and with a win could leapfrog as high as fourth in the standings while Volos, currently eleventh, could go enter the top six with the three points.

The highest profile match of the day sees AEK and OFI facing off in Heraklion. Both sides are coming off disappointing showings in recent weeks. AEK were subpar in last weekend’s 1-1 draw against ten-man Aris while OFI began the season in superb form, but have cooled off considerably having failed to win a league match for over a month.

Also on Saturday’s schedule is Panionios versus Panetolikos. Last-placed Panionios will be buoyed by their draw against Olympiacos last week, but will be aiming for the victory this weekend against a team just a point above them. Panetolikos have had a poor season, however they did manage a 0-0 draw against Panathinaikos last time out. They remain the only team in the division without a win and are only above Panionios because they began the season with a six-point deduction.

Sunday

Panathinaikos - Asteras Tripolis

Xanthi - Atromitos

Aris - Lamia

Olympiacos - PAOK

On Sunday, it’s impossible to look past the AGONAsport Match of the Week which is unsurprisingly the big derby between Olympiacos and PAOK. This is undoubtedly the biggest match of the season thus far in Greece. The two teams head into the match level on 27 points. Olympiacos held a slim lead atop the table for most of the season, however PAOK pulled even last weekend with their victory over Larisa coupled with Olympiacos dropping points in Nea Smyrni. Both teams are undefeated, while defending league champions PAOK continue to hold on to their long unbeaten run, which now stretches to an incredible 46 matches (the streak began in March 2018). While the result on Sunday probably cannot be characterized as title-defining, surely a win by either side would extremely important as far as momentum in the title race. 

Three other matches take place earlier on Sunday. The day starts in Athens with Panathinaikos hosting Asteras Tripolis. Giorgos Donis’ men have blown hot and cold as of late, following up their impressive derby win over AEK with a misfiring 0-0 draw at Panetolikos last week. Asteras meanwhile are languishing in twelfth and need a positive result to help kickstart their faltering campaign.

Managerless Xanthi are at home to Atromitos this weekend. Kiko Ramirez left the club last week following the 1-0 away loss to Lamia. While Ramirez’s reign began brightly, Xanthi’s terrible form recently (five defeats from their last six games) meant a parting of the ways between coach and club. His successor will be named this week with Giorgos Paraschos emerging as the favorite. Xanthi will hope to have a similar new manager bounce as Atromitos have experienced. Giorgos Korakakis’ first game at the helm last week was a memorable one as a last-minute winner propelled the Peristeri side to a 2-1 win over OFI. 

Finally, Aris will attempt to put the breaks on red-hot Lamia. Akis Mantzios has his side on a three-match winning streak after the team failed to win any of their first eight games. Aris could go up to third should they win and have gone a long way to climbing back up the table after a mediocre beginning to the season. 

by George Tsitsonis

Image Source: onsports.gr

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