Thin AEK squad preparing for demanding stretch

Reigning Super League winners AEK Athens have made a superb start to the season, but with crucial domestic and UEFA Champions League matches approaching, a thin squad is going to be stretched to its limits.

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In the summer, the Kitrinomavri saw off the challenge of Celtic and Vidi in the Champions League qualifiers, historically making the group stages of Europe’s premier competition for the first time in 12 years. However, while it’s an achievement worth savouring, head coach Marinos Ouzounidis has a huge headache with a busy schedule and small squad at his disposal.

Just to make matters worse, left-back Helder Lopes and star Croatian forward Marko Livaja received four-match bans from UEFA for their red cards against Vidi, meaning the pair will sit out AEK’s demanding games with Ajax, Benfica and Bayern Munich in Group E. In addition, Anastasios Bakasetas misses the opener in Amsterdam through suspension, and taking into account that AEK didn’t have a big roster in the first place, it’s a nightmare situation for Ouzounidis and his assistants.

The tough stretch starts on the coming Saturday, when AEK host Panionios at the Olympic Stadium in Athens. This year, Panionios have encountered financial trouble and don’t carry a large threat, but the Nea Smyrni outfit have a handy knack of performing against Greece’s best and defeated AEK on the road in the 2016/2017 Super League European playoffs. AEK have began their title defence with two wins (PAS Giannina 2:0, Asteras Tripolis 1:0) and will be eager to earn a third consecutive victory ahead of the Champions League.

Then, on Wednesday, AEK travel to Amsterdam for the maiden Champions League group stage match against Ajax and if the Enosis harbour any hopes of progressing to either the Last 16 or the UEFA Europa League, they cannot afford to return to Greece with nothing to show for their efforts. After that, the Athenians play arch-rivals PAOK at the Toumba Stadium in a game which promises to be a thriller, before they take on OFI in Heraklion and welcome Benfica to the Greek capital.

Immediately after the Champions League duel against Benfica, the Kitrinomavri will do battle against Olympiacos at the OAKA to complete the rotten stretch of fixtures. Can this AEK squad somehow cope with the task at hand and emerge unscathed? To Ouzounidis’ relief, Ukrainian defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy and Argentinian winger Lucas Boye are on the verge of returning from their respective injuries, but even with those two back in the team, there are going to be some seriously tired legs in this AEK team in a couple of weeks’ time.

AEK’s schedule for the next six matches:

September 15, AEK - Panionios, Super League;

September 19, Ajax - AEK, Champions League;

September 23, PAOK - AEK, Super League;

September 29, OFI - AEK, Super League;

October 2, AEK - Benfica, Champions League;

October 7, AEK - Olympiacos, Super League.

by Shaun Nicolaides

Image Source: to10.gr

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