Greek Super League Preview: Round 20

By: Chris Paraskevas | February 7th, 2009

In cooperation with Goal.com:

Saturday:

Asteras Tripolis vs Panserraikos
Panthrakikos vs Olympiakos
Aris vs Panionios

Sunday:

Skoda Xanthi vs Levadiakos
Ergotelis vs Iraklis
Larissa vs AEK Athens
Thrasyvoulos vs OFI Crete
Panathinaikos vs PAOK

Asteras Tripolis vs Panserraikos

Panserraikos don’t appear to have any pressing injury worries as they travel to Arcadia on a high following their impressive scoreless draw at home to Panathinaikos in the Greek Cup in mid-week.

That result followed a crucial 1-0 victory over fellow relegation battlers Thrasyvoulos last weekend, lifting Hugo Broos’ side off the bottom of the table into third-last place.

They are however, only six points behind their upcoming opponents, which gives this match massive importance as the Greek Super League season reaches its climax.

With ten rounds remaining, Nikos Kostenoglou’s Tripols have shown enough to suggest that they can avoid the drop this season; a loss at home this weekend would throw the race for top-flight survival wide open, however.

Panthrakikos vs Olympiakos

A 3-0 loss away to Panionios last weekend again highlighted the inability of Emilio Ferrera’s Panthrakikos to deal with star power, with Fabian Estoyanoff winning the match thanks to a hat-trick.

Though they have struggled against the more reputable teams and players this season, their campaign has instead been built on an ability to deliver results where they have been realistically expected.

Unfortunately for the northern Greeks, this match doesn’t fit that description, though they will certainly make life difficult for Ernesto Valverde’s men in Serres.

It remains to be seen whether Matt Derbyshire’s request for a starting place will be answered, following his debut as a substitute during Olympiakos’ first leg Greek Cup loss to PAOK in mid-week.

Aris vs Panionios

Brazilian manager Mazinho saw his Aris team steal a crucial derby win away against Iraklis last round as they push for a play-off place in Europe.

They will host Giotis Stamatopoulos’ Panionios, who have moved into sixth place under their new manager following a 3-0 home win over Panthrakikos last week.

Uruguay international Fabian Estoyanoff scored all of their goals, though he is sidelined this week through injury, along with fellow countryman and former Inter Milan star Alvaro Recoba.

With both sides two points away from fifth-placed Larissa, the winner of this match will take a huge step towards having a chance at securing UEFA Europa League [UEFA Cup] football for next season.

Skoda Xanthi vs Levadiakos

Whilst Xanthi’s poor league form has seen them drop rather sharply from a place in the top-three to mid-table, they hardly find themselves with any real threat of relegation.

The same cannot be said of Momcilo Vukotic’s Levadiakos, who find themselves only seven points ahead of third-last Panserraikos following their 2-1 home loss to Panathinaikos last weekend, a team that they will play against away from home in two weeks’ time.

They will also need to face PAOK, AEK Athens and Olympiakos at least once before the end of the season, which gives matches like these added importance. They can at least take heart from the fact that Xanthi have not won a league match since the beginning of November.

Ergotelis vs Iraklis

Both Ergotelis and Iraklis will be looking to use this match to distance themselves from the relegation zone, as Makis Katsavakis’ Iraklis travel to Crete without Panagiotis Kone.

The home side have often been exposed at the Pankritio Stadium, which will give hope to a team who have one of the worst attacking records in the competition.

This could prove to be a particularly tight affair, with both sides desperate to avoid defeat.

Ergotelis might rely on the brilliance of rising star Vasilis Koutsianikoulis, whilst Iraklis will look to influential midfielder Serge Die and goalkeeper Wojciech Kowalewski.

Larissa vs AEK Athens

Larissa are a genuine chance of European football next season and a home victory over AEK Athens – a distinct possibility given their form against Athenian sides at the Alkazar – would help them take a massive step towards that goal.

They will look to newly acquired ex-Bolton star Stelios Giannakopoulos this weekend following the 34 year-old’s late two-goal brace that stole an away victory against OFI last round.

Former Celtic striker Maciej Zurawski is another who has been in fine form this season, having netted five time for Marinos Ouzounidis’ side.

AEK Athens are similarly chasing Europe, though a UEFA Champions League spot is perhaps a more realistic possibility for Dusan Bajevic’s embattled outfit.

They suffered their first defeat under the Serbian manager since his return this season when they went down 1-0 to Olympiakos last round, though they have shown incredible resilience amidst the administrative turmoil that has engulfed the club.

Former Real Zaragoza left-back Juafnran hasn’t been included in the squad to travel to Thessaly after he limped off injured during last weekend’s derby.

Thrasyvoulos vs OFI Crete

Both Thrasyvoulos and OFI suffered massive defeats last weekend, the former away to Panserraikos and the latter in heart-breaking fashion at home to Larissa.

Occupying last and second-last place respectively, the loser of this match might be all but consigned to relegation.

Ioannis Matzourakis’ OFI have shown glimpses of the sort of quality and resilience that could save them from an increasingly precarious position whilst Thrasyvoulos have struggled all season.

Panathinaikos vs PAOK

The biggest match of the round pits Olympiakos’ nearest title rivals against each other, as Henk Ten Cate’s Panathinaikos attempt to regain some of the European swagger that has deserted them in recent weeks.

An impending UEFA Champions League meeting with Villarreal later this month gives another dimension to their latest Greek Super League clash, with the Athenians looking to generate domestic form ahead of their knockout stages tie.

Poland international Jakub Wawrzyniak impressed for Pana on his debut in the Greek Cup in mid-week in central defence, where Ten Cate’s men were held to a scoreless draw away against struggling Panserraikos.

They now host a PAOK team who have similarly seen their title challenge deteriorate in recent weeks, as much a result of the strain on a squad perhaps only realistically built to secure European football.

Talismanic Zlatan Muslimovic might be in line for a return at the OAKA Spiros Louis, though veteran midfielder Vladimir Ivic is a doubt.

Fernando Santos’ men have been unable to perform during their high-profile clashes this season, however, and that will have to change this weekend if they are to reignite their title bid.