Contenders look to stay on Course

Last weekend’s results stirred up plenty of change amongst the Greek Super League rankings, and with even more intriguing tasks in store for the approaching weekend the trend may continue across Greece.

Levadiakos vs. Panserraikos
Saturday, November 1^st, 2008
Time: 16:45 GR
Venue: Levadias Stadium, Levadia
TV: ALPHA

As usual, the weekend’s fixtures are divided over two days as action kicks off on Saturday in Levadia. Home side, Levadiakos, welcomes Panserraikos as both sides look to improve somewhat similar starts to the season. Levadiakos will be potent to return to the win column with a strong performance over their recently promoted opponents. Last weekend’s 3-1 loss to PAOK in Thessaloniki was not the result Momcilo Vukotic’s side was hoping for, but the task on Saturday is likely to be less of challenge.

Panserraikos also tasted defeat on matchday seven, as the ‘Lions’ were edge by Thracian club, Skoda Xanthi, in their visit to Northern Greece. Sitting one point behind their Saturday opponents, the Beta Ethniki title holders will be keen on leapfrogging Levadiakos.

Panionios vs. Panathinaikos
Saturday, November 1^st, 2008
Time: 19:00 GR
Venue: Panionios Stadium, Nea Smyrni
TV: novasports1

All eyes will be on Panathinaikos when the Athenian giants travel to the suburbs of Athens to tackle Panionios in Nea Smyrni. The ‘Tryfilli’ have suffered in recent outings, as campaigns in both Greece and Europe have been plagued by poor showings. A midweek loss to Ergotelis shocked Panathinaikos supporters, and more could follow with the visit to Nea Smyrni.

Pressure has fallen on the shoulders of Panathinaikos manager Henk Ten Cate in recent weeks, and if his side is unable to collect full points against an in-form Panionios side, the Dutch boss could be inching closer and closer to an early exit. The absence of Andreas Ivanschitz only makes matters worse for Panathinaikos, as consecutive falters has only seen Panathinaikos continue to slip in the standings.

Despite being tied for the lead in most goals scored as a unit, it is Panathinaikos poor defensive coverage that has been the ‘Tryfili’s’ Achilles heel. Damage control might be the theme for Panathinaikos again this weekend, as the ensuing midweek poses another critical encounter as the Champions League competitors travel to Germany to face Werder Bremen on Tuesday.

The summer spree of transfers, which brought the likes of Alvaro Recoba and Fabian Estoyanoff to Nea Smyrni, has begin to pay dividends for the Athenian side. The presence of the Uruguayan duo has only gone on to compliment the styles of Lampros Choutos and Bernard Kumordzi.

After thumping Ergotelis with a 5-2 hammering last weekend, Panionios will be interested to replicate some of that energy when a shaky Panathinaikos side invades Nea Smyrni.

Aris vs. Larissa
Saturday, November 1^st, 2008
Time: 19:00 GR
Venue: Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium, Thessaloniki
TV: NET

Another intriguing encounter is expected when Larissa travels north to Thessaloniki for a meeting with Aris FC. The hosts will be confident to collect maximum points, as Aris supporters continue to celebrate in the after math of a stunning 1-0 victory over Olympiacos last weekend. Larissa, meanwhile, will be hoping to erase domestic disappointments as Marinos Ouzounidis’ side looks to transfer Cup triumph into Super League success.

Both sides have played giant-killers in recent weeks, but Aris’ track record appears more convincing. After a slow start to open the new season, Enrique Hernandez’s side has come to life in recent weeks to begin the catch-up process. One of the main reasons for Aris’ recent success has been the form of midfielder Javito. The Spaniard has single-handily been the driving force for the Aris offense, scoring four goals after seven appearances.

For Larissa, Facundo Parra has led the offensive charge with four goals thus far. His attacking counterpart, Marcelo Sarmiento has also contributed to Larissa goal tally with three markers to his name. More of the same will be required if Larissa is to rebound from a surprising loss at home to Panthrakikos. The shock of this result brought Larissa back down to earth after a clutch win against OFI which was followed by a resilient effort to earn a draw with AEK at OAKA.

The atmosphere at the Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium will surely have the ability to handcuff the visitors, but if Larissa can challenge the home side’s supremacy by controlling the tempo in the early stages, Larissa will have the opportunity to stir up a shock on Saturday evening.

OFI Crete vs. Skoda Xanthi
Sunday, November 2^nd, 2008
Time: 15:00 GR
Venue: Pankritio Stadium, Crete
TV: N/A

Two sides inhabiting complete opposite sides of the spectrum known as the Super League standings will meet in Crete, as OFI holds aspirations of escaping from the foot of the table ahead of Skoda Xanthi’s visit to Greece’s southernmost island. The visitors have enjoyed a strong start to the season, sitting in third place and are only two points behind leaders Olympiacos.

For OFI, the inability to collect a victory thus far has hurt the ‘Omilos’ who have only four points from four draws. Home comforts haven’t suffixed any early season pains, as OFI’s form away from home has been more rewarding. If the hosts are to draw any aspirations ahead of clash with Xanthi, the 0-0 draw OFI collected during Olympiacos tour of Crete could be the inspirational example needed for Frantisek Straka’s side to finally crack the win column.

The league’s worst defense has overshadowed Dame N’Doye’s dynamic five-goal start to the season; a feat only equalled by Olympiacos’ Luciano Galletti. OFI struggles could continue as reports earlier in the week revealed N’Doye was facing a race to fitness ahead of the Sunday kickoff..

For Xanthi, the strong start which has allowed the Thracian side to climb the rankings has not come with a bombardment of goals; however, the gritty results achieved by Georgios Parasxos’ side have allowed Xanthi to find themselves in a better position than much of their domestic opposition.

The departure of Tomasz Radzinski has clearly left a hole in Xanthi’s attack, as nobody has stepped up to fill the gap left by the exit of the Canada international. Fortunately for Xanthi, the team has maintained its reputation of having a sturdy defense – allowing just two goals and none on their travels.

If OFI is once again unsuccessful in its attempt to end a winless slump, Straka could find himself in a position similar to many Super League managers: browsing the Greek classifieds for another job opportunity.

Panthrakikos vs. Thrasyvoulos
Sunday, November 2^nd, 2008
Time: 15:00 GR
Venue: Komotini Stadium, Komotini
TV: N/A

Thrasyvoulos, who was once at the foot of the Super League standings, has been rejuvenated in recent weeks after avoiding defeat for two consecutive weeks to pick up its first points of the season. The makeover started when Thrasyvolous added to OFI’s early season woes with a 3-1 win. If the side from Fyli thought that was an achievement, a three goal comeback against AEK last weekend must be even more incredible after the newly promoted side held the Athenian giants to collect a rare draw.

With Panthrakikos occupying Sakis Tsiolis’ side this weekend, the possibility of continuing this undefeated streak is certainly high. However, the visitors will be in tough when they visit Komotini, as the home side is coming off a league win against Larissa and a Cup win over Zakynthos to boost confidence among the Panthrakikos ranks.

Sitting only three points ahead of the relegation trio, Panthrakikos – like their opponents – will have plenty of aspirations to collect full points in order to extend their own winning streak.

AEK Athens vs. Asteras Tripolis
Sunday, November 2^nd, 2008
Time: 16:45 GR
Venue: OAKA Spyro Louis, Athens
TV: novasports1

Georgios Donis’ time at AEK maybe ticking down, and another stiff test this weekend could decrease Greek’s stay with the Athenian giants. Asteras Tripolis visit the Greek capital, to lock horns with AEK on Sunday in a match that both managers will need to pocket in order to keep their jobs.

The criticism of Georgios Donis has reached microscopic extremes in recent weeks, as the ‘Enosi’ have stumbled through the unnecessary loss of several points. Last week’s 3-3 draw with Thrasyvoulos quite seemingly summarized the month of October for the ‘Kitrinomavri’, as the derby defeat to Olympiacos earlier in the month initiated a downhill slide for AEK.

With Asteras’s gritty defense expected to give up nothing easily, the likes of Ignacio Scocco and Ismael Blanco – who have scored four goals each – will have to work even harder to ensure AEK starts November on the right track.

Unlike the hosts, Asteras Tripolis looks to be on constant un-elevated slope but a midweek Cup win over Apollon Kalamarias will be looked upon to kick start the Peloponnesian side. The early season injury to Mauro Milano interrupted Asteras’ offensive objectives, but Danjel Cesarec and Lucio Filomeno have continued to terrorize opposing backlines. Their efficiency will be highly important this weekend, as Asteras faces another stiff test against one of Greece’s powerhouse clubs.

Olympiacos vs. Ergotelis
Sunday, November 2^nd, 2008
Time: 19:00 GR
Venue: Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus
TV: NET

After pulling off a stunning midweek win over Panathinaikos at OAKA, Ergotelis travels a few miles south of Athens to Piraeus for a meeting with Olympiacos at the Georgios Karaiskis Stadium. The Cretans will be confident of repeating the feat against the league leaders as the Piraeus clubs struggles to return to its best form. As for Ergotelis, Cretans wouldn’t have expected success at this magnitude – especially after narrow escapes from relegation in recent years. However, Ergotelis is proving to be the dark horse of the current season, and a win against Olympiacos on Sunday would rattle the landscape of Greek football.

The Piraeus club will be banking on the midweek defeat of a tragedy-stricken Diagoros Rodos for inspiration, as Olympiacos looks to end a slump that has seen the Greek Champions play a sloppy style of football. Home comforts could raise spirits, as Olympiacos looks to extend its unblemished home record.

Ergotelis will look to count on a few standouts to pave the path to success in Piraeus, with names like Patrick Ogounsoto and midweek star, Vassilis Koutsianikoulis, leading the charge. The latter gave a stunning performance against Panathinaikos -netting twice and assisting on the game winner. With Olympiacos expected to be far more comfortable under the microscope known as Karaiskaki, Ergotelis counterattack will have to be effective. The same can be said of the visitor’s defense, as Olympiacos’ offensive line holds the best record in Greece.

Iraklis vs. PAOK
Sunday, November 2^nd, 2008
Time: 19:00 GR
Venue: Kautanzogleio Stadium, Thessaloniki
TV: novasports1

The final match of the weekend features two Thessaloniki-based clubs playing for local pride, as the gap between the two clubs is far too great to discover any other competition. Like many matches this weekend, the two sides find themselves in opposite spectrums: PAOK are one point off the summit, while Iraklis are in the red zone with only four points.

PAOK can easily be tipped as the most improved club this season, and the chemistry that has taken over the Toumba based side has been consistent. The Dikefalos tou Vorra has seen the same sort of mould that is found in the club’s crest convert to the club’s offensive front, with the double-threat partnership of Zlatan Muslimovic and Ibrahim Bakayoko combining to score five of PAOK’s eight goals this season.

For Iraklis, the summer transfer period has paid off to the same dividends as their local rivals. Michalis Konstantinou, an experience Super League veteran has not been able to produce consistently enough for the centenary club to escape the drop zone. There is, however, optimism for the Cyprus international who clearly is Iraklis’ guiding light through the dark times at Kautanzogleio. The Cypriot will need to take advantage – if any do arise – this weekend, as PAOK’s regular back stopper, Konstantinos Chalkias is expected to miss the trip across town.

Category: AEK Athens FC, Aris FC, Asteras Tripolis, Ergotelis, Greek Super League, Iraklis, Larissa, Levadiakos, OFI Crete FC, Olympiacos, PAOK, Panathinaikos, Panionios, Panserraikos, Panthrakikos, Skoda Xanthi, Thrasyvoulos