The Greek Super League on the up
AGONAsport’s Greg Gavalas analyzes the first half of an exciting Super League season.
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The 2019/20 edition of the Super League marks the 60-year anniversary since the founding of Greece First National League (1959-2019) and there have been many positive takeaways that came with the changes made during the off-season.
There were mixed reactions to the Super League decreasing from 16 teams to 14 teams and a playoff system that involved all teams - a much different format to the previous edition of the playoffs that were a major disappointment.
Under the new system, the teams will play a regular season which involves playing a home and away fixture against every team, accounting for 26 rounds. At the end of the 26-round regular season, the top six teams will compete in the playoffs which will decide the league champion and the European spots whilst the teams ranked seventh to 14th, will enter the playouts where the eight clubs will fight to avoid the drop. All points accumulated in the regular season will transfer over to the playoffs and playouts.
This approach has in fact improved the product of the Super League, which was the ultimate goal for the changes this past off-season.
For one, there have been more goals scored, better football has been played (especially from the mid-table teams), and more fans at the stadium. These are all the key fundamentals needed for a better domestic championship which will hopefully also bring improvement on the European stage where Greek teams have struggled as of late (Greece have dropped to 17th in the UEFA Association Club Coefficient Rankings).
On the field, there is a higher level of competitive football and the increase in goals speaks for itself. The current average of 2.8 goals per game is the highest since the 2001/02 campaign when at the halfway mark the average was at 2.9 goals scored per game.
A great showing is that only five games have finished goalless in the first half of the season, a huge contrast to the last few years.
The other savouring fact is that crowds have increased for the first time in 10 years with an average of 7,600 in attendance per game. Olympiacos, PAOK, AEK, and Aris lead the charts and with a competitive Panathinakos, the numbers will only increase.
It has been a two-horse race for the title as was expected with PAOK and Olympiacos battling it out. Both clubs sit on 31 points and are undefeated, making every game a pressure boiler as each waits for the other to slip up to gain the edge.
Sadly for AEK fans, there is daily light to third where the 2018 Champions find themselves and instead of battling for the league title. AEK are in a battle with the improvers to stay in the top-six. Only five points separate AEK in third and new boys Volos NFC in 11th.
Impressing after the first round are Larissa and OFI, who sit in fourth and fifth on 19 points. Both teams have played good football - the Cretans, especially, have also taken three points from AEK and Panathinaikos.
Xanthi are also on 19 points mainly due to a great start to the season and have also beaten AEK and Panathinaikos in the first round (impressively both games were in Athens).
Knocking on the door of the top-six are Aris. The Kitrinomavri from Thessaloniki have endured a frustrating season, having drawn many games they should have won. They have brought back a Greek favourite in Giannis Fetfatzidis and his form this season has been spectacular. Expect Aris to give Xanthi a fight for a place in the top-six.
Panathinaikos find themselves in a disappointing ninth place. The young greens have battled for consistency and will want to show more of their derby form in games against the league’s “weaker” teams. With more consistency and wins, the crowds should also come back to the stadium. It remains to be seen If Panathinaikos can make the top six, however, on paper, they should.
Lamia are equal with Panathinaikos at the moment and are one of the league’s in-form teams with an impressive run of seven games without a defeat (including two Cup games). If they continue this, they will surely challenge for a top-six place.
Atromitos find themselves in 10th place. This is unchartered territory for the Peristeri outfit who have enjoyed a top-four finish the last few seasons. They have a decent squad and just appointed Savvas Pantelidis as coach. Their football has been ok this season, however, expect improvement from the Athens side.
New club, Volos NFC, started the season exceptionally well and were regulars in the top-six early on. They play fine, attacking football and have found two gems in Spaniard Juan Muniz and Argentine Joaquin Torres. The two midfielders have nine goals between them and bring wonderful attacking flair to the fields.
Asteras Tripolis are perhaps the season’s disappointment. Like Atromitos, they have done well in recent seasons but have struggled for results this go around, despite dominating games at home. Whether or not new Serbian coach, Milan Rastavac, can turn things around remains to be seen.
Panionios and Panetolikos will no doubt fight it out for relegation but both teams know, a run of good form and wins can change everything. Panionios, who started the season with -6 points, are now on six points after a run of good results.
It should be noted that only one team will be automatically relegated this season to the Super League 2, whilst the team that finishes 13th will compete in a two-legged playoff with the runner up from the Super League 2 for one place in the 2020/21 Super League.
With so much to play for, an increase in goals, an increase in crowds, a tight battle for the Championship, a race for a top-six finish, everything is on the line as teams do it all over again, for what will surely be an exciting second half of the season.
