A big game to close out Round 5 of the Stoiximan GBL!
Aris hosts Panathinaikos at the Alexandrio (5:00 p.m.) in a game that promises to be incredibly exciting!
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Aris has won seven straight games across all competitions since their opening-night loss to Karditsa, going 5-0 in the EuroCup and 3-1 in the league. The “Yellows” are playing excellent defense in the league and have plenty of quality options on offense as well, showing the potential to be contenders in this new era.
On the other hand, Panathinaikos is undefeated in the league (4-0), but is coming off a “tough week” that left them with mixed feelings: a hard-fought victory over Armani Milan on Tuesday and an easy loss to Anadolu Efes on Friday. The “Greens” want to bounce back and continue their domestic campaign with a win, ahead of a big game against Real Madrid in Madrid.
On the court, Vassilis Spanoulis will be without the injured Vassilis Charalampopoulos, Lefteris Bochoris, and Giorgos Tanoulis, while Zeljko Obradovic will be without Moustapha Fall, Jerian Grant (who is not on the eight-man foreign player roster), and the injured Nikos Rogavopoulos. It remains to be seen whether Kostas Sloukas will return; he did not play for Efes for management reasons.
The History
The two rivals are set to face off for the 147th time since the inception of the First National Division, with Panathinaikos AKTOR now holding 100 wins to Aris’s 46. In this context, the head-to-head record in matches played in Thessaloniki is evenly balanced (35-37).
Since the start of the professional league—in 1992–93—the “Greens” have 72 wins and the “Yellows” 14 wins, with the head-to-head record in Thessaloniki standing at 12-30.
Aris, however, has won three of its last eight home games against Panathinaikos AKTOR, prevailing in last year’s matchup 102–95 in overtime.
*photo source: KYPE
