Olympiacos vs. PAOK: The “Red-and-Whites” are on a roll against a battered PAOK

Olympiacos hosts PAOK (9:00 p.m.) at the “G. Karaiskakis” Stadium in the big derby of Matchday 10 of the Stoiximan Super League. 

The “Red-and-Whites” aim to capitalize on their home-field advantage and continue their push to stay near the top of the standings, currently sitting at 22 points and just two points behind first-place Panathinaikos. On the other hand, Panathinaikos, currently in fourth place with 18 points and one point behind third-place Aris, is looking for a big win that will allow them to close the gap on their “eternal rivals.”

Olympiacos is on an upward trajectory, with Imanol Alguacil seeing his team adapt more and more to his philosophy. The Piraeus-based team has remained undefeated for nearly two months, having significantly improved its defensive play and kept a clean sheet eight times during that span.

Their nine-game winning streak came to an end with a 0-0 draw against Rennes, however, their European campaign remains positive, with Olympiacos having earned 10 points in the Europa League group stage and still in contention for a spot in the top eight.

In the league, the “Red-and-Whites” are coming off a dramatic 3-2 win over Kifisia, with Zélson Martins scoring in stoppage time to secure the victory for his team.

On the other side, PAOK is coming off a 2-1 win over Asteras AKTOR, in a game decided by Mythos’s goal in the 87th minute, with Kenny being sent off and automatically ruled out of the match at “Karaiskakis,” causing a major headache for Alesio Lisi, as PAOK has no other right back on the roster.

The most likely scenario is for Elustondo to take his place in the starting lineup, while Soretire is also expected to start in place of Tyson, who has been suspended from the first team for a disciplinary infraction.

Meanwhile, Michailidis, Pelkas, Ali, and Pavlenka are ruled out, as are Meite, Despodov, and Chalov, who are dealing with long-term injuries.

Probable starting lineups:

Olympiacos (Imanol Alguacil): Ortega, Saliakas, Retsos, Pirola, Tiknizian, Froiler, Puerta, Tschikino, Roca, Zota, Muadimalji.

PAOK (Alesio Lisi): Tsiftsis, Elustondo, Hatzidiakos, Costa, Giannoulis, Zafeiris, Jakic, Zivkovic, Soretire, Banza, Endiaye.

*photo source: KYPE