Panathinaikos hosts Aris for the League Phase of the Superbet Greek Cup (10/28), in a highly anticipated matchup, as both teams are looking to continue their run in the tournament with a positive result. The home team is coming off a league victory and wants to take advantage of its home-field advantage, while the Thessaloniki side travels to Athens in high spirits, having secured three consecutive wins in the Super League.
The “Greens” are in good form, having defeated Volos 1-0 in their most recent league match, thanks to a goal by Cyril Desers. Meanwhile, in the Cup, they have started with two wins—a 1-0 victory over Niki Volos and a 2-0 win over Kifissia—keeping a clean sheet in both matches.
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Jacob Nistrup is expected to make changes to the starting lineup ahead of the derby against AEK. Cyril Desers, Stefan De Vrij, and Davide Calabria were left out of the squad to rest, while Azedine Ounai is ruled out due to a serious injury. Tete, Adino, and Levi Garcia are options for the attacking line in a match where Panathinaikos aims to maintain control and secure another victory.
On the other hand, Aris is on an upward trajectory, with three consecutive league wins that have propelled them to fourth place. In their last match, they defeated Atromitos 3-1, demonstrating their effectiveness on offense. In the Cup, the “Yellows” have earned four points following a 1-1 draw against Asteras AKTOR and a 1-0 victory over Marko.
Michalis Grigoriou is also expected to shake up his starting lineup, as he has to deal with several key absences. Matar Tiam, Manu Garcia, and Loren Moron remain sidelined due to injuries, while Yiannis Gianniotas’s availability is in doubt. Meanwhile, Mir, Busaid, Gensen, and Basiru are vying for a spot in the starting lineup, with young Papasaraphianos also in contention for a place in the starting eleven.
The match is also expected to be interesting in terms of roster management, as both coaches must strike a balance between securing a result and managing the workload of their players. Panathinaikos wants to take advantage of its home field, while Aris aims to continue its winning streak and secure an important result against a strong opponent.
Probable starting lineups
Panathinaikos (Jacob Nistrup): Penia, Kyriakopoulos, Van Drongelen, Palmer-Brown, Tsapras, Adino, Kamara, Kontouris, Jagusic, Levi Garcia, Tetei.
Aris (Michalis Grigoriou): Velio, Haroupas, Richards, Fabiano, Petris, Dele-Bashiru, Voriazidis, Kouame, Bouzaid, Gare, Mir.
Referee: Tsakalidis
Assistant referees: Kostaras, Papadakis
4th official: Fitsas
VAR: Van Buikel
AVAR: Manschot
*photo source: pao.gr
