AEK showed a good level of readiness for this time of year in last night’s friendly against Athens Kallithea (4-0). By fielding two different starting lineups, neither of which is expected to be the “starting lineup” for the new season, the team demonstrated that it has a distinct playing style that has been developing since last year and into which new players are fitting in seamlessly.
The “newest” of these, Milan Vitalis, showed exceptional qualities right off the bat after just two training sessions with the team, on Thursday and Friday. The Hungarian midfielder played in the first half and looked as if he’d been with the team for years; he wasn’t nervous at all and, on the contrary, was the best player on the field. He provided significant defensive support with his runs, was always immediately available to distribute the ball, and made runs between the lines to break down the opposing defense. It was from one such run—which he finished with a deft touch to shake off his marker, an impressive feint against the opposing center back, and a flawless finish—that he opened the scoring.
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The 24-year-old star impressed the fans, who see in him the closest thing to the playing style of… Pineda, and without exaggeration, Vitalis’s performance puts him in contention even for the starting lineup in Wednesday’s match against OFI at Pankritio Stadium for the Superbet Super Cup. Of course, there are now many options for that position, including Marin (who didn’t play yesterday), Kairinen, Mayer, and Mandalo—but in any case, the Hungarian coach has given Marco Nikolić something to think about.
As for the two players born after 2004 who must play the entire duration of Wednesday’s match, all signs point to Alexiou and Kaloskamis, who each played one half yesterday, though they didn’t appear to be at the same level as the rest of the team. Both, however, have extenuating circumstances: the former having missed most of the preseason due to an injury, while the latter was deployed in a new role—that of central midfielder—rather than behind the striker, as we saw him last year. Christakopoulos, who is suffering from a strain, is unlikely to be available as a right back, Balamotis, who played goalkeeper in the second half, is unlikely to play since it’s too big a risk for a title-deciding match, while 17-year-old forward Argyriou was not used yesterday.
*photo source: AEK FC / AEK FC
