Greek Cup-UP-UP-UP AND AWAY!

By: Chris Paraskevas | November 11th, 2008

In cooperation with Goal.com:

Ilisiakos vs AEK Athens

It was only two years ago this month that former manager Llorenc Serra Ferrer’s AEK Athens suffered one of the most embarrassing results in the club’s recent history, knocked out of the Greek Cup by lowly Chaidari.

A number of Giorgios Donis’ current squad will still have memories of that premature fourth round exit and will be keen to avoid another lower league catastrophe at the Stavros Mavrothalassitis Stadium in Athens this evening.

Their opposition will be second division – or Beta Ethiniki – outfit Ilisiakos, who find themselves in the relegation zone after a poor start to the season that has seen them win only once in their opening nine matches.

However, an AEK outfit who are conspicuously out-of-form cannot afford to let their concentration slip in Egaleo, particularly in light of the fact that theirs will be a much-changed line up from the one that drew with Xanthi over the weekend.

First-choice goalkeeper Sebastian Saja – who has been in fine form this season – has been left out of Giorgios Donis’ 18-man squad, along with injured trio Sotiris Kyrgiakos, Nikos Georgeas and Rafik Djebbour.

Antonis Rikka remains a long-term injury victim, while centre-back Giorgios Alexopoulos has been afforded a break after returning from injury to deputise competently for Sotiris Kyrgiakos over the past few weeks.

Edson Ramos Silva continues his exile from the club, currently located in his native Brazil after an unhappy start to his second season in Greece whilst on-loan Lanus midfielder Agustin Pelletieri has not been named in Donis’ matchday squad.

Nea Kavala vs Panathinaikos

High-flying second-division outfit Nea Kavala will entertain Athenian giants Panathinaikos in what will be one of the highlights of the season for the northern-Greek club.

They will be full of confidence heading into their Greek Cup encounter, currently sitting in second-place on the Beta Ethniki ladder and only three points away from first-placed Atromitos after they recorded a 2-0 away win over Agrotikos Asteras at the weekend.

Following their mid-week Champions League heroics against Werder Bremen, Henk Ten Cate’s Panathinaikos side had to endure a sobering draw at home to an out-of-form Olympiakos and now enter their Fourth Round clash with a host of first-team absentees.

Leading the list is captain Giorgios Karagounis, whose injury makes him a doubt for his side’s weekend trip to Larissa.

Also missing from the Cup tie will be first-choice ‘keeper Mario Galinovic, defenders Mikael Nilsson and Loukas Vyntra, midfielders Mate Simao, Bryce Moon, Gabriel and Gilberto Silva and strikers Vangelis Mantzios and Rodrigo Souza.

Atromitos vs Aris

Enrique Hernandez’s Aris have arguably the toughest task of all Greek Super League sides this week, as they prepare to take on the Beta Ethiniki’s top side.

Vassilis Vouzas’ Atromitos grabbed a 1-0 away win over Kastoria on Sunday to maintain their three-point lead at the top of the second-division, after they were relegated from Greece’s top-flight last season.

Their opponents from Thessaloniki scored an important come-from-behind win in Fyli over the weekend, where they came back against ten-man Thrasyvoulos after going down 1-0 – their second victory in three weeks.

A strong squad has been named by Spanish manager Hernandez, whose only fresh injury concern is that of Konstantinos Nebegleras, who will now attempt to work his way back to fitness ahead of a league meeting at home to Asteras Tripolis on Saturday.

Kallithea vs Skoda Xanthi

Periklis Amanatidis’ struggling Kallithea currently find themselves in the Beta Ethniki relegation zone after suffering a weekend loss away to promotion contenders Apollon Kalamaria.

Following a 1-1 draw at home against AEK Athens on Saturday evening, Georgios Paraschos finds his Xanthi outfit in third place on the Greek Super League ladder, just two points off Olympiakos.

In-form midfielder and Saturday goal-scorer Nabil Taider has been excluded from the manager’s match-day squad – presumably with a view to resting him – along with energetic winger Charis Pappas.

Brazilian midfielder Marcelo is something of a surprise inclusion in Paraschos’ travelling party to Athens, with the left-sided player set to make his first competitive appearance of the season.

It is an otherwise full strength squad for the Greek Super League side, who will be looking to build on their fine campaign with progress into the last 16 of the 77 year-old cup competition.

Agrotikos Asteras vs OFI

Thessaloniki club Agrotikos Asteras are hovering above the relegation zone of the Greek second-division, with nine points from their opening nine games.

Their opponents from Crete have endured a horror season both on and off the pitch but momentarily transcended their worries over the weekend, as caretaker manager Pavlos Adamos guided his side to a 2-1 win away at Panserraikos.

Progress in the Greek Cup will provide yet another positive distraction from the administrative unrest that has surrounded the club this season.

Lamia vs Panserraikos

Nikos Kourbanas’ third-division Lamia outfit will be looking to put a poor start to their Gamma Ethniki campaign behind them when they face Greek Super League new-boys Panserraikos on Wednesday.

Kourbanas is the replacement for previous incumbent Costas Stamatiou, who was released from the club at the end of last month.

They will be facing a Panserraikos side without the services of Sambégou Bangoura, Poul Adado, Mohammed Abubakari and Georgios Gougoulias, all of whom except for Adodo featured during a home loss to OFI at the weekend, where Bangoura opened the scoring for his side.

Veria vs Thrasyvoulos

Following their relegation from the Greek Super League last season, Veria have struggled in the second-tier of Greek football and could only manage a scoreless draw at home with fellow stragglers Ethnikos Asteras on Sunday.

Sakis Tsiolis’ Thrasyvoulos are in last place on the Greek Super League ladder following a 2-1 loss at home to Aris at the weekend.

A place in the last 16 of the Greek Cup will provide a welcome distraction for a side already looking like relegation favourites this season and luckily, there don’t seem to be any fresh injury concerns for Tsiolis ahead of the trip to Veria.

Ethnikos Asteras vs Ergotelis

Following a 2-0 loss away at Olympiakos in Round 8, Ergotelis bounced back with a 2-1 win over Larissa on the weekend to move into fourth spot on the Greek Super League table.

With his weekend brace, Nigerian striker Patrick Ogunsoto officially became the league’s outright top scorer with six goals this season.

He has been included in Nikos Karageorgiou’s squad to travel to the Michalis Kritikopoulos Stadium in Kaisiarani, Athens, on Wednesday.

There they will face struggling Beta Ethniki outfit Ethnikos Asteras and will also be without the services of Vasilios Koutsianikoulis – the catalyst for their stunning 3-2 away win over Panathinaikos – as well as Mario Hieblinger, Junior Silva and Georgios Vakouftsis.

Kastoria vs Iraklis

Second-division strugglers Kastoria prepare to face their Greek Super League counterparts Iraklis after the latter grabbed a crucial home victory over Levadiakos at the weekend.

With the Thessaloniki club still without a permanent successor for the now departed Angel Pedraza, caretaker Rudolfo Borel will have the responsibility of guiding the club through Greece’s premier cup competition.

He may be without first-choice goalkeeper Wojciech Kowalewski, a potentially massive blow given his impressive form this season.

It looks like he will be joined on the sidelines by striker Anestis Agritis.

Kerkyra vs Levadiakos

Momcilo Vukotic’s Levadiakos were stung against Iraklis at the weekend and will be looking to bounce back with a Greek Cup victory over their opponents from the Beta Ethniki.

Kerkyra will be boosted by an important weekend victory over Pierikos, with Nikos Pantelis’ side now occupying seventh position on the table.

Argentine forward Eduardo Montoya is the most notable absentee from the Levadiakos squad for Wednesday’s clash.