In what is somewhat of a tradition in Piraeus nowadays, Olympiacos looked back on another golden season domestically as the club was presented with the coveted Super League trophy – their twelfth in the last thirteen years.

But while most titles are dedicated to the people in the stands, it was apparent that this championship meant a lot for the club’s familiar heroes. The likes of Predrag Djordjevic, Darko Kovacevic, Paraskevas Antas, and Christos Patsatzoglou were all given a luxurious send-off as the club applauded the quartet for their services.

Djordjevic, like his team-mates, played his final match for the ‘Eythrolefki’ against AEK Athens in the Greek Cup Final – capping a successful stint in the port city where he captained the club to all twelve of their titles in the last thirteen seasons. He hoisted the club’s recent symbol of domestic dominance – the sleek Super League trophy – to compliment a similar title he hoisted last weekend at the OAKA Spyros Louis Stadium.

Kovacevic, a compatriot of Djordjevic, was forced to end his career after doctors discovered his life was in jeopardy due to a genetic condition of high blood pressure. Completing a mandatory surgery – a coronary angioplasty – just outside the Spanish metropolis of Barcelona, Kovacevic returned to Greece where he was soon greeted by loal Olympiacos fans at the club’s Red Store just outside the stadium. Nonetheless, Saturday night’s send-pff was an appropriate display of appreciation for the Serbian striker.

Another to retire is Antzas, but unlike Kovacevic, the Greek center-back has called time on his career after collecting a new lease on life in the aftermath of his father’s death. The moe was rather foreseeable after Antzas step down from international duty for the Greek National Team after his nation’s EURO 2008 campaign.

Patsatzoglou, or ‘Patsa’ as his jersey reads. Is not ready to end his career; instead, opting to test the Cypriot market with a transfer to AC Omonia Nicosia. It will be a reunion of sorts for the Greece international, as Omonia’s bench boss is none other than former Olympiacos player and manager Takis Lemonis.

A manager, however, still remains in question back in Piraeus. Ernesto Valverde and the club failed to agree upon an extension that would keep the Spaniard on as Olympiacos coach until at least the conclusion of next season – an apparent interest in a return to Spain’s La Liga being the distinguished variable repelling Valverde.

But again the island of Cyprus appears to be the answer to Olympiacos’ needs as rumors continue to link now-resigned Anorthosis Famagusta boss Temuri Ketsbaia with the Olympiacos post. It was a breakthrough that perplexed the Piraeus fan base ahead of the fiesta, and worried the Olympiacos board ahead of the fiesta.

But their response was minimal in comparison to vocal and visual outbursts seen in recent years. The most notable fan response during the fiesta came during the club’s celebration a few days after Brazilian legend ‘abandoned the club’ as he cited financial issues made it impossible for him to stay.

Back to the future, and Olympiacos has an interesting trip to Asia slated for later this week. Scheduled to leave Athens on Monday, Olympiacos is due in Vietnam for an international friendly with the Vietnamese National Team on Thursday in historic Hanoi.

All eyes will be on Athens on Saturday, when Olympiacos and AEK Athens meet at the OAKA Spyros Louis Stadium in the Final of the Greek Cup…

With another league title headed to Piraeus and into Olympiacos’ trophy cabinet, AEK will look to the Greek Cup in order to ruin their rivals’ bid for a domestic double. Meanwhile, the Greek Champions are adamant to exercise their dominance in Greece by securing their second consecutive domestic double.

Salvaging a Season

It was simply an unsettling season for AEK: an early exit from Europe, a lingering search for a president, and a coaching change appeared to distract the club from implicitly competing in the Super League. Nonetheless, with the year-long disappointment aside, Saturday night’s scintillating final is a prime opportunity for AEK to salvage their season.

Dusan Bajevic, bench boss at AEK Athens, voiced his side’s motives during a midweek press conference. The Serbian manager made it clear his side will be driven by a “motive”, but also mentioned the task will be difficult.

“We have a strong motive,” said the AEK coach. “There are no favourites in matches like these. We know each other very well and it’s hard to predict how the match will unfold.”

The 60-year-old tactician knows what it takes to triumph on these occasions; his resume boasting four Greek Cup titles as a manager. Having finished on the winner’s podium twice while stinting on the Olympiacos sidelines, Bajevic will be banking on his players to end a twelve-year title drought for the ‘Kitrinomavri’.

Domestic Double

Aside from presidential issues and a coaching change, Olympiacos endured a similarly painful season thanks to a poor European run. Their twelfth Super League title in thirteen years soothed any growing pains, but another Greek Cup success on Saturday would put any remaining disappointments at ease.

Currently, the future of manager Ernesto Valverde and summer transfers appear to be the main talking point for the Piraeus giants; however, a win on Saturday would boost Valverde’s future negotiations with club president Sokratis Kokkalis.

The Spaniard will aim to bag his second piece of Greek silverware in just his first season as manager at the Giorgos Karaiskakis Stadium, but realizes his side will be in for a tough night against AEK.

“Both teams will be very cautious at first and our priority will be to avoid mistakes,” said Valverde. His words are likely to ring true after two slim victories over AEK this season are not enough to guarantee a third on Saturday.

FORM GUIDE

AEK Athens

Mar 22.     AEK Athens 3-1 Levadeiakos       (Greek Super League)
Apr 5.      Panthrakikos 1-1 AEK Athens       (Greek Super League)
Apr 8.      Panserraikos 0-0 AEK Athens       (Greek Cup)
Apr 12.      AEK Athens 0-1 Aris        (Greek Super League)
Apr 26.      Ergotelis 1-1 AEK Athens       (Greek Super League)

Olympiacos CFP

Mar 22.     Panionios 2-3 Olympiacos       (Greek Super League)
Apr 5.      Levadeiakos 1-2 Olympiacos       (Greek Super League)
Apr 9.      Olympiacos 2-1 Asteras Tripolis       (Greek Cup)
Apr 12.      Olympiacos 0-1 Larissa        (Greek Super League)
Apr 26.      Thrasyvoulos 0-2 Olympiacos       (Greek Super League)

TEAM NEWS

AEK Athens

While the fitness of center-back Sotiris Kyrgiakos has been a pressing matter for AEK throughout the season, the Greece international will assume his role in the center of defense on Saturday. On the flanks, however, Bajevic will have to improvise as Juanfran will miss the match through injury.

Probable Starting XI: Sebastian Saja – Geraldo Alves, Daniel Majstorovic, Sotiris Kyrgiakos, Nikos Georgeas – Tamandi Nsaliwa, Agustin Pelletieri, Pantelis Kafes – Ignacio Scocco, Edinho, Ismael Blanco.

Olympiacos CFP

Injury concerns stem a little deeper within the Olympiacos ranks, but the injured duo of Fernando Belluschi and Avraam Papadopoulos are expected to make full recoveries ahead of Saturday’s decisive encounter.

Probable Starting XI: Antonis Nikopolidis – Vasilis Torosidis, Paraskevas Antzas, Avraam Papadopulos, Didier Domi – Dudu, Giannis Papadopoulos – Luciano Galletti, Sebastian Leto, Fernando Belluschi – Diogo.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

AEK Athens

AEK’s offense may not be the most clinical unit in the Super League, but front man Ismael Blanco has evolved to be one of the most efficient scorers in the Super League. His efficiency will be called forth on Saturday night as AEK look to solve the best defense in the Greek top flight.

Olympiacos CFP

Luciano Galletti has been the defining edge at Olympiacos all season long, and the crafty Argentine will be looked upon to steer Olympiacos to another Greek Cup title. After finishing tied alongside Ismael Blanco for the Super League’s scoring title, Galletti will be keen to settle the scoring battle with his compatriot.

PREDICTION

These two sides have met in the Cup Final many times before; always producing memorable results for spectators. The last of these meeting came in 2006 when Olympiacos ran out 3-0 winners in Crete. This year the encounter is expected to be highly contested as both sides are keen on capturing the Greek Cup crown. AEK pose a stiff challenge for Olympiacos, but the latter appear to have enough depth to overcome their inner-city rivals.

Olympiacos CFP 2-1 AEK Athens

Having thrashed Iraklis 5-0 on the weekend, Olympiacos had returned to their stunning form after a somewhat gloomy end to February and an uneasy start to March. Meanwhile, Asteras Tripolis were likely ecstatic thanks to the inclusion of Mauro Milano, after the young Argentine returned to the line-up since limping off the Karaiskaki pitch when the two sides met for a Super League encounter back in August.

While Olympiacos’ offense created many chances in their weekend rout, the first twenty minutes were dominated by an Asteras side fuelled by the home crowd.

The Arcadian outfit had its first chance on nine minutes as Jaoud Zairi attempted to give Asteras an early lead with a hard shot aimed towards Olympiacos shot-stopper Antonis Nikopolidis; however, the effort did little to test the former Greece international ‘keeper.

Not long after Asteras returned with another chance to net a breakthrough as Adrian Bastia connected with Flavio, but the latter flashed his effort just wide of Nikopolidis’ goal.

Horacio Cardozo was the next to try for Asteras, but again Nikopolidis was left untested thanks to another inaccurate effort from the hosts.

Still pushing forward, Asteras pinned their hopes of drawing first blood on striker Lucio Filomeno, who missed out on beating Nikopolidis by slim fractions with a merely off-target header posing no threat to the Olympiacos custodian.

Finally, Olympiacos showed signs of content in the attacking third but Christos Patsatzoglou was way off with his twenty-second minute effort.

In a likewise fashion, the Argentine duo of Fernando Belluschi and Sebastian Leto combined only to see the on-loan Leto fired wide of Giorgos Abaris’  net.

With the arrival of the half-hour mark, a dose of brilliance made leeway for a goal for the hosts. A tough of skill and patience from Zairi allowed the Moroccan to find an unmarked Filomeno inside the Olympiacos box, who swiftly netted a well-placed header past Nikopolidis.

It took only five more minutes for Asteras to increase their advantage, and once again it was Filomeno heading home a tally for the Tripoli crowd to cheer. A free-kick from Flavio reached a poorly marked Filomeno and the Argentine striker cheekily made it 2-0 with a header squeezing just inside the upright.

Now urged to claw their way back into the game, Olympiacos searched for a goal of their own, and were rewarded when Diogo calmly decreased the deficit. A sharp long-ranged pass from Vasilis Torosidis sent Diogo on a trek in the Asteras box, before allowing the Brazilian to chip an effort past Abaris and over the goal-line despite a back-checking Marcelao desperate to scissor-kick the ball to safety.

Changing the outlook of the game, and possibly the tie in a matter of minutes, Olympiacos nearly pulled level just before the half. Again Diogo was responsible for the effort, but this time Abaris was equal to the task as he blocked the Brazilian’s effort.

Still possessing a definitive lead heading into halftime, Asteras’ goal for the second frame was to withstand the pressure from the Greek Champions in hopes of maintaining their aggregate cushion ahead of the replay in Piraeus.

The pace of the second half was notably inferior compared to the start of the second half, but when action did resume accordingly it was Diogo who continued to create problems for the Asteras defense. Luciano Galletti provided a pinpoint cross off a free-kick, but Diogo failed to be as accurate with the finish as the ball soared wide of the Abaris’ frame.

Another letdown came for Olympiacos just past the hour mark as a bit of miscommunication between Diogo and Belluschi saw another opportunity go wasted. Leto was the driving force behind the play as his speed down the flank allowed Diogo to find enough room in the box to release a centering pass; however, the effort went begging for a finish thanks to a flatfooted Belluschi.

Although Ernesto Valverde’s side were struck with disappointed through the opening fifteen minutes of the second frame, the visitors erupted in celebration on seventy-three minutes after a series of momentous opportunities were rewarded with an equalizer.

A swift cross from Galletti found a slick Diogo, who had slipped past his marker, and with a crouched header beat Abaris to the far corner to level the score.

Retreated to the bench soon after securing his brace, Diogo was replaced by a potent Matt Derbyshire on seventy-six minutes. It took the Englishman just over five minutes to nearly strike a winner for Olympiacos, but the on-loan Blackburn Rovers starlet was denied by the woodwork.

It was a sharp run from Oscar Gonzalez that resulted in Derbyshire’s spell of possession and eventual crossbar-smashing effort, but the follow up was nearly as nerve-racking for Asteras as Torosidis forced Abaris into a sharp reflex save as the Greece international rapidly pounced on the rebound.

Growing in momentum, Olympiacos’ quest for a late goal to take back to Piraeus suffered a setback when Leto was dismissed from the pitch on eighty-six minutes. The Argentine winger was issued his second caution of the evening to leave Olympiacos shorthanded for the dying moments of the match.

Asteras looked to take advantage of their strength in numbers when Marcelao forced the best out of Nikopolidis with his driven free-kick soon after Leto’s sending-off. Lashing a hard shot towards the Olympiacos goal, Nikopolidis reacted quickly to push over the Brazilian’s effort over the bar for a corner.

Asteras Tripolis FC 2-2 Olympiacos CFP
Filomeno 30′, 35′ – Diogo 43′, 73′

Yellow Cards:
Asteras Tripolis FC – Cardozo 27′, Fytanidis 56′, Psomas 90′.
Olympiacos CFP – Torosidis 21′, Leto 56′ (87′).

Red Cards:
Asteras Tripolis – none.
Olympiacos CFP – Leto 87′ (sent off after double booking).

Asteras Tripolis FC (Nikos Kostenoglou): Abaris, Flavio, Marcelao, Fytanidis (88′ Esteves), Kanakoudis, Cardozo, Bastia (75′ Damonte), Lazaridis, Zairi, Filomeno, Kaounos (75′ Milano).

Olympiacos CFP (Ernesto Valverde): Nikopolidis, Patsatzoglou, Galletti (79′ G. Papadopoulos), Diogo (76′ Derbyshire), Zewlakow, Dudu, A. Papadopoulos, Leto, Belluschi (71′ Oscar), Pantos, Torosidis.

Referee: Dimitris Kalopoulos

Venue: Asteras Tripolis Stadium, Tripoli, Greece

No. Instead, Chris is going on vacation to Greece, and he is getting the once-in-a-lifetime – okay, maybe not once – opportunity of catching three Olympiacos games during his stay. Yes you heard it hear folks, our very own Chris Pavlakos is going to Greece and will be watching our beloved ‘Erythrolefki’ not from a television set, or a shitty stream. This lucky S-O-B (Chris, I’m kidding) will be taking in the game from actual Greek stadiums while inhaling mass amounts of smoke from flares, and getting a true experience of surround sound.

One of the matches Chris will be going to is the upcoming derby with PAOK this Sunday. Recently, more like yesterday, Olympiacos overcame PAOK with a 2-0 win at the Giorgos Karaiskakis Stadium – also known as my second home during the football season, not because I have been there or anything, but it’s a thing called ‘red sickness’ which targets your brain and then you become paralyzed with obsession over Olympiacos, it’s nasty, I know.

So as Chris makes the trek north to Thessaloniki, more specifically Toumba Stadium, the nest of the ‘Dikefale tou Vorra’, I have been told that if Chris doesn’t post anything by Monday evening then most likely something happened to him – something meaning he is either crippled, or you know, belly up in the Aegean, and we aren’t talking about skinny dipping. PAOK fans are apparently pissed that their team got how they say ‘jipped’ on Wednesday, and are planning some death trap for Olympiacos fans. Likely this is just hearsay from some PAOK bigwigs on Greek soccer forums across the net.

If that wasn’t enough for Mr. Pavlakos, he’ll be spending the following weekend with a visit to the cathedral of Olympiacos football. Chris will be among the many Gate 7 followers at Karaiskaki. It’ll probably be impossible to see him because of the amount of flares and/or the colourful choreographed displays put on by Olympiacos’ largest supporters group. I bet Chris will be positioning himself perfectly to either efficiently use some of the lasers used by fellow ‘Gavroi’, or maybe even look to sit in an ideal place to hurl some objects at whoever takes Iraklis’ corner-kicks. In simpler terms, Chris is badass.

The third stop for Chris during his Olympiacos Odyssey is Nea Smyrni where Panionios awaits Olympiacos for a Super League fixture at the simply named Panionios Stadium. If the match against PAOK and Iraklis wasn’t enough, the spoiling continues as Chris gets a firsthand look at our beloved ‘Erythrolefki’ tackled a Uruguayan-fuelled Panionios.  Chris will be in the stands, while Fabian Estoyanoff and the prolific Alvaro Recoba look to avenge a 4-1 loss to the Greek Champions.

Now there might be a downside to Chris’ trip, and it’s definitely serious shit. Aside from attending Olympiacos games, our friend Chris is also going somewhere not too man Olympiacos have ever gone, or in my opinion should never bother going to unless ‘O Thrylos’ is on the ticket.

What do I mean? Well, Chris told me personally – as personal as MSN is – that he might be going to the crack house. Not literally, but the tainted the OAKA Spyros Louis Stadium could be a Saturday night destination for this gutsy ‘Gavro’. Panathinaikos, the green scum they are, host Larissa on Saturday night, and Chris will likely be on hand to watch the battle between the farm animals: Lagoi vs. Vyssini or Rabbits vs. Horses (not unicorns).

In addition to these  three confirmed games, a potential death, and of course the contraction of “Vazeliatis”, derogatory for the sting left after watching Panathinaikos, Chris could also be in Greece during the semi-finals of the Greek Cup. Olympiacos plays Asteras Tripolis and AEK Athens plays Panserraikos, but the dates have not yet been released; mainly because the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) is a bit slow when it comes to these things.

So that is basically an overview of Chris’ itinerary for the next few weeks. Meanwhile mine includes lectures, tutorials, readings, essays, assignments and mostly stress expected by a university student. Nonetheless, I’ll sure to tune in for each match and continue to post pre-game and post-game analysis, as well as tidbit information like I always do. But as a bonus, ‘cause you know life isn’t always just fun and games, Chris will also take the time, if he can, to post some pictures, maybe even audio and video from his odyssey.

So stay tuned to the Olympiacos Blog, those who have already tuned in; and for those who haven’t, well you’re kind of missing out on a sweet, sour, spicy, whatever flavour you want, taste of Greek football.

Lacklustre play in the past few weeks allowed PAOK to believe they could topple Olympiacos at the Giorgos Karaiskakis Stadium – a Greek fortress on all levels. While they managed to hold off the defending the Greek Cup Champions throughout the first-half, a landslide of self-destructive events plagued Fernando Santos’ men throughout the remainder.

Olympiacos looked set to take the initiative in the opening minutes as the hosts controlled the tempo, but they were surprised when PAOK’s Zlatan Muslimovic got the first look at goal. The Bosnia and Herzegovina international looked to put a swell finish to Sergio Conceicao’s centering pass, but his header caused little harm to Olympiacos ‘keeper Antonis Nikopolidis.

PAOK continued their strides towards what would be a goal of some magnitude, but Vladimir Ivic’s shot just past the ten minute mark lacked the appropriate accuracy.

Finally, on nineteen minutes, Olympiacos managed to create a worthwhile attempt. The end result didn’t trouble Greece international shot stopper Kostas Chalkias, but Predrag Djordjevic’s off-target effort showed content from the Olympiacos offense.

The margins from goal began to narrow for Olympiacos, as Chalkias was joined by Pablo Contreras as goal-savers when the Chilean denied Diogo a chance at goal with a reflex clearance out for a corner on twenty-five minutes.

As progress was achieved by the Piraeus, a non-synchronized part of the attack purged any positive build-up. After crafting a creative play on the sidelines, Luciano Galletti was likely left in disappointment when his pass was dispatched way off-target by team-mate Dudu just before the half-hour mark.

On thirty-five minutes, Olympiacos was nearly gifted with a goal ahead of the interval. Again, it was Galletti playing the role as producer but a pass bound for Fernando Belluschi ricocheted off PAOK defender Nikos Arabatzis, before forcing Chalkias into a reflex save to force a corner.

One more chance fell for Olympiacos, but a goal before halftime eluded the Greek giants when Christos Patsatzoglou failed to make the most of an odd-man rush as his pass bound for Galletti sailed out of bounds to signal the waste of an optimal chance, and the end of the first forty-five minutes.

With the first half completed, the evening appeared to be headed for a similar finale to the one that played out just days before at the same venue. When Olympiacos hosted Panathinaikos on Sunday, the hosts didn’t dominate the match from start to end, but Ernesto Valverde’s men were not at all efficient going forward. After failing to hit the target on so many occasions throughout the first-half, the home crowd likely grew restless as the ‘Erythrolefki’ desperately searched for a tally.

Prayers for a marker on the scoreboard, at least from the Olympiacos faithful, were answered instantaneously after the restart. With an attacking edge imposed on the game by Valverde, the introduction of Matt Derbyshire exposed the hunger Olympiacos had accumulated during the past few weeks. Their appetite was reduced by at least one goal when a pinpoint pass from Galletti found the head of Diogo, and the Brazilian thunderously scored his first goal for the club after a thirty-nine day wait from his last tally.

Seizing the lead, and more importantly tying the aggregate score, Olympiacos had swiftly erased PAOK’s edge and the intensity picked up during the ensuing minutes. Both sides now chased progress in the Cup, and PAOK was forced to crack its own defensive shell in search of a goal that was now a prerequisite if their Cup dreams were to continue.

Shell-shocked by the hosts’ opener, PAOK seemed paralyzed when Diogo came close to bagging a brace. Derbyshire combined with his strike partner inside the PAOK box, but the latter’s effort crept just over the crossbar as PAOK dodged yet another bullet from Diogo.

Team-mates at Portuguesa, and now Olympiacos, Diogo sprung compatriot Leonardo for Olympiacos’ next look at goal, but the Brazilian defender directed his effort wide of Chalkias’ goal.

Almost immediately Olympiacos returned with another opportunity, but Belluschi couldn’t put a triumphant finish to a play created by Djordjevic as the former River Plate star shot just wide of the PAOK net.

It wasn’t until just past the hour mark that PAOK began to show promise in attack, but as Conceicao appeared to be a threat to Nikopolidis’ clean sheet, the Portuguese midfielder was denied a goal by a sharp save from the former Greece international.

At the other end, Chalkias’ under-fire temperament resumed when Djordjevic forced a corner, and nearly continued when Diogo lashed a header just wide.

Observing that his side was simply non-existent in attack, Santos opted to introduce the ever efficient Ibrahima Bakayoko to the match on seventy-two minutes; little did the former Benfic and AEK Athens manager know that his side would go down to nine men in a matter of six minutes.

First Contreras was shown his second caution of the night for his stiff challenge on Diogo. Shortly after it was Ivic who faced an early dismissal with his second yellow of the night, after a rampant tackle on Derbyshire sent the Serbian midfielder to the locker rooms.

With nine men now forced to avoid the wrath of Olympiacos’ non-stop attack, PAOK’s hopes of a semi-final had quickly vanished. Still, there was room for heroics, as Olympiacos’ defense had the potential to be vulnerable as the back-line pushed forward to impose pressure.

Rightly, however, it was Olympiacos who used the advantage in order to answer the cries for a second goal. A second marker would be the decisive tally for the Piraeus giants, but their late surge to bag a goal was unsuccessful despite their urgency.

One of the two attempts before the end of regulation time fell for Michal Zewlakow, but the Poland international’s header was routine work for Chalkias. On the ninety-minute mark Diogo’s aerial effort could have been the late goal Olympiacos was desperate for, but the Brazilian directed his header over the crossbar after a brilliant pass from Leonardo.

PAOK’s resistance allowed for an extra thirty-minute period at Karaiskaki, but now Santos’ men faced another half-hour of heavy-duty defense; not to mention the need for an unthinkable goal, if PAOK’s Greek Cup hopes were to carry them into the next round.

Not surprisingly, Olympiacos’ offense came out blazing in the first half of extra time; however, PAOK kept their hosts at bay. Valverde’s late addition of Oscar Gonzalez added a definitive spark to the Olympiacos attack as PAOK’s backline came under heavy fire from the Olympiacos front.

In fact it was the substituted Spaniard who had the best chance of the first fifteen minutes of extra time when he nearly rounded Chalkias before drilling a shot off the upright. Just inches separated the former Real Zaragoza man from his second goal in three games.

PAOK’s gameplay had now begun its revolution around the idea of clearing the ball. A depleted side through the late second-half sending offs had been stranded without a proper look at goal.

It was now a matter of time before Olympiacos managed to grab the elusive goal they had so desperately been searching since Diogo’ aforementioned breakthrough. It came not too long after the extra time interval. A cross from Zewlakow made its way to the feet of an unmarked Galletti, who offered a volleyed effort that bounced fiercely towards the PAOK goal. Derbyshire managed to create enough space to slip past his marker and pip both his defender and Chalkias with an upward header into the PAOK net.

There was no reponse from PAOK as the Thessaloniki based club was unable to form an answer with a goal of their own.

The pair will meet again on Sunday, but the venue will shift to northern Greece and the Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki as number one in the Super League visits number two.

Olympiacos CFP 2-0 PAOK FC
Diogo 46′, Derbyshire 109′

Yellow Cards:
Olympiacos CFP – Dudu 69′, Pantos 71′, Mitroglou 90′ + 1′.
PAOK FC – Muslimovic 43′, Contreras 59′ (74′), Veron 74′, Ivic 76′ (80′), Sorlin 112′.

Red Cards:
Olympiacos CFP – none.
PAOK FC – Contreras 74′ (sent off after double booking), Ivic 80′ (sent off after double booking).

Olympiacos CFP (Ernesto Valverde): Nikopolidis, Pantos, A. Papadopoulos, Zewlakow, Leonardo (98′ Oscar), Patsatzoglou (46′ Derbyshire), Dudu, Galletti, Djordjevic (87′ Mitroglou), Belluschi, Diogo.

PAOK FC (Fernando Santos): Chalkias, Arambatzis, Malezas, Contreras, Sznaucer (70′ Bakayoko), Veron (77′Bizera), Ivic, Sorlin, Conceicao, Lino, Muslimovic (83′ Konstantinidis).

Referee: Michalis Koukoulakis (Heraklion).

Venue: Giorgos Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece.

The Thessaloniki based club makes its way to ‘Limani’ with a slim edge after the first leg at the Toumba Stadium. Meeting about a month ago in Thessaloniki, it was a chipped goal from Sergio Conceicao that allows PAOK to hold a 1-0 aggregate lead heading into Wednesday’s decisive second leg.

The hosts played out a suspenseful 0-0 draw with Panathinaikos on Sunday to snap a three-game losing streak, but their winless streak has not stretched to four matches after two losses to French side Saint-Etienne and a Super League slip against Ergotelis. Meanwhile, PAOK has begun a new winning streak after their 3-0 loss to Panathinaikos a few weeks ago, and claimed a dramatic win over Panionios on the weekend.

Manager Ernesto Valverde is faced with yet another dilemma ahead of PAOK’s visit. While the main headlines swirling in and around Piraeus include the Spaniard’s training ground altercation with on-loan Liverpool midfielder Sebastian Leto, it is still a crucial time for the Greek Champions. Still leading the Super League by nine points over their Wednesday night opponents, and two further points over Panathinaikos, Olympiacos is undoubtedly on pace for another Super League crown. However, the last two weeks have paved way for a dip in form and confidence. Losing more games in the last two weeks than in their season campaign thus far, the ‘Erythrolefki’ will be keen to start March on a winning note.

A handful of injuries will rule out some of Olympiacos’ regulars, including Paraskevas Antzas who begins a 3-4 week spell on the sidelines. The former Greece international was injured in Sunday’s meeting with Panathinaikos, and now joins Ieroklis Stoltidis, Didier Domi, Giorgos Galitsios, Aristides Soiledis, and a suspended Leto on the injured reserve.

PAOK also faces a string of absences, but it is expected manager Fernando Santos will opt for a defensive formation in the wake of their 1-0 aggregate lead. The Portuguese manager has never steered his side past Olympiacos in the Super League, but the former AEK Athens boss can be confident with his Greek Cup record soaring high over ‘O Thrylos’. Filippos Darlas, and Pablo Garcia are among the notable absentees for the ‘Dikefale tou Vorra.’

Sitting in second in the Greek Super League, PAOK has been the closest competitor to Olympiacos’ bid to reclaim the Greek title since the season started in late August. Hosting Olympiacos this approaching weekend, PAOK will look to gain confidence and a spot in the semi-finals with a win over their nationwide rivals.

A draw will take Santos’ men through to face either Asteras Tripolis or Panionios, but interestingly enough the last time Olympiacos lost at home to Greek opposition was on March 4^th, 2007 as former Panathinaikos striker Dimitrios Papapadopoulos struck in a 1-0 Super League win for the Athenians.

The Argentine had featured in Olympiacos 2-1 defeat to Saint-Etienne after overcoming an injury that kept him out of the original meeting with the French outfit and Super League visit to Ergotelis ahead of the second leg.

No Indication
There was no indication that the on-loan Liverpool midfielder was injured after Olympiacos’ trip to Saint-Etienne, allowing many to speculate a training ground incident had decided the Argentine’s fate.

Initial speculation returned to the pitch as many believed Leto was being punished after kicking two water bottles after being subbed off during a domestic encounter. That hypothesis, however, was quickly ruled out as it was realized Leto had made appearances for the club after that touchline incident – indicating he had since been forgiven.

Secret Meeting
It became more evident that something was wrong when rumors began to swirl about a private meeting between Valverde and club president Sokratis Kokkalis. The speculation suggested the pair met to discuss Sebastian Leto immediate future with the club, while reports also indicated the club had abruptly lost interest in approaching Liverpool to extend Leto’s stay in Piraeus.

The Truth Surfaces
Now, after the derby, more has been revealed about the incident that kept Leto from the weekend clash with Panathinaikos. According to various publications in the Greek press, a training ground incident and argument between Leto and Valverde was in fact the reason for the Argentine’s exclusion.

In what was a very unprofessional move by Leto, reports suggest the left winger rudely kicked two footballs that were in front of him. One ball hit backup ‘keeper Pavel Kovac in the face, while the other hit Valverde in the back.

For his misbehaviour on the training ground, Leto was suspended for the weekend fixture with Panathinaikos, and could remain out of the line-up for the rest of the season.

Soleidis Call
In the wake of this event, Valverde has also taken the initiative of calling up prospect Aristides Soiledis after being told to look at the reserves team for Leto’s replacement.

The 18-year-old has made a handful of appearances for the ‘Erythrolefki’ including the club’s Greek Super Cup win over Larissa two seasons ago.

With plenty of injuries plaguing both sides, both sides were forced to sacrifice some of their regulars due to injuries. Ernesto Valverde had the heftier absentee list, as the Spaniard had no choice but to send a makeshift Olympiacos squad to the Toumba Stadium. With the likes of Luciano Galletti, Sebastian Leto, and Diogo all ruled out, the Greek Champions were tipped to struggle in Greece’s northern metropolis. Fernando Santos, meanwhile, only had to accommodate for the gaps left by Bosnian striker Zlatan Muslilovic, and defender Joe Bizera.

After meeting back in mid-November, in what was a fierce encounter between the top two sides in the Super League, Olympiacos emerged 2-0 winners at the Giorgos Karaiskakis Stadium. Aiming to level the score PAOK looked to cash-in on home advantage and take an early lead in the quarterfinal tie, as the ‘Dikefale tou Vorra’ came out soaring to start the Athens-Thessaloniki derby.

Vladimir Ivic was the first to test Olympiacos ‘keeper Antonis Nikopolidis; drilling a shot towards the former Greece international, but the effort lacked conviction and was easy work for the Greek shot stopper.

Three minutes later, Nikopolidis relied on his woodwork to bail him out. Winter signing Lino looked to put his side ahead off a free-kick, but the effort instead smashed off the post.

The opening ten minutes were a change of sorts for Olympiacos, as they were the ones usually dictating the run of play in the opening minutes of the most recent fixtures for the visitors. PAOK had quickly turned the tables, but a stroke of bad luck allowed for the score to remain level.

With PAOK asserting a strong grip on the game, it took Olympiacos about twenty-five minutes to register its first meaningful chance of the match. Brazilian midfielder Dudu released Olympiacos’ first shot of the match, but the effort was put to waste as Kostas Chalkias comfortably made his first save of the match.

While Dudu took great strides to initiate Olympiacos’ slow starting offense, a tragic error between the former CSKA Moscow man and defender Michal Zewlakow allowed PAOK to creep towards a stranded Nikopolidis. Dudu’s attempt to make a back pass to Polish fullback Zewlakow failed miserably, allowing Segio Conceicao to take advantage and place a chipped effort from outside the box past an out of position Nikopolidis.

A lapse in judgement by Dudu cost the defending Cup Champions dearly, as PAOK’s loyal supporters broke out in pandemonium just before the half-hour mark.

Looking to redeem himself after his prior blunder, Dudu again was the center of Olympiacos’ progress into PAOK’s zone, but there was no satisfactory finish for Olympiacos fans. Dudu’s long ranged strike was redirected by Vasilis Torosidis, yet the latter was unable to direct the effort into the back of the net.

A last gasp effort ahead of the interval saw Olympiacos earn a free-kick from just outside the PAOK box. Though the strike was accurate, Chalkias made a routine save to keep PAOK in the lead after forty-five minutes.

Olympiacos showed signs of desperation shortly after the restart, with Valverde’s men pushing hard for an equalizer early in the second frame.

A rapid rush into PAOK’s territory saw the visitors earn yet another free-kick, and Predrag Djordjevic’s curling cross towards Dudu was nearly tucked away for an equalizer until Chalkias made another fine save to keep his side’s 1-0 advantage intact.

The ensuing corner allowed for another chance to level the game, but Belluschi’s corner was met by a misguided Zewlakow, who sent his aerial effort up and over the crossbar.

With nearly an hour gone now, PAOK looked to stamp a firm lead on fifty-nine minutes. The hosts nearly extended their lead with Olivier Sorlin flashing a header to the far post, but an alert Dudu denied the on-loan Frenchman of a tally as he blocked the effort to force nothing but a corner.

Holding a crucial, yet slim advantage over one of the Super League’s most lethal clubs, PAOK was comfortable to tie up the main arteries in the ‘Erythrolefki’ attack. Frustrating the forward line, Valverde’s reshuffling through the latter stages of the game didn’t result in an Olympiacos marker on the scoreboard.

There was more notable effort for either side, with the first coming in favour of Olympiacos. Giorgos Galitsios provided a cross for legendary Olympiacos midfielder Predrag Djordjevic, yet the Serb was unable to provide for his club as his effort was easily confronted by Chalkias.

PAOK’s final try for another tally didn’t come until the late stages of the encounter, but youngster Stefanos Athanasiadis couldn’t muster his effort efficiently after a cross from Pablo Garcia was played on towards the Greek starlet by Lino.

With the final whistle, the second leg became a crucial element for Olympiacos’ bid to keep pace fpor yet another domestic double. A goal has seen ‘O Thrylos’ topple AEK on the weekend, but a bit of their own tonic was displayed PAOK who will take their narrow advantage to Piraeus in a month’s time.

The busy trek continues for both clubs this weekend, with Olympiacos travelling to Komotini to face surprise package Panthrakikos on Saturday. A day later PAOK jet to Athens where a crucial fixture with Panathinaikos offers plenty of intrigue in the Greek capital, as both sides lock horns to settle second place in the Super League.

PAOK FC 1-0 Olympiacos CFP

Conceicao 29′

Yellow Cards:

PAOK FC – Sorlin 45′, Anastasakos 45 + 1′, Garcia 62′, Balafas 65′, Darlas 67′, Veron 69′.

Olympiacos CFP – A. Papadopoulos 33′, Galitsios 35′, Djordjevic 67′, Patsatzoglou 70′, Dudu 86′, Torosidis 87′.

PAOK FC (Fernando Santos): Chalkias, Marcos Antonio, Darlas, Contreras, Lino (90 + 2′ Balafas), Arambatzis, Garcia, Conceicao, Ivic (40′ Veron), Sorlin, Anastasakos (79′ Athanasiadis).

Olympiacos CFP (Ernesto Valverde): Nikopolidis, Patsatzoglou, Galitsios (80′ Oscar), Zewlakow, A. Papadopoulos, Pantos, Torosidis, Djordjevic (76′ Leonardo), Dudu, Belluschi, Mitroglou (61′ Derbyshire).

Referee: Anastasios Kakos

Venue: Toumba Stadium, Thessaloniki, Greece

The two sides have met just once this season, but the surroundings featured the hot lights of the Giorgos Karaiskakis Stadium and Olympiacos emerged 2-0 winners. The win for the ‘Erythrolefki’ kick-started a breakaway for Olympiacos at the Greek summit, which has now reached 11-points over their Wednesday night hosts.

The last meeting, like many in the past, turned out to be an ugly affair. Pablo Garcia was involved in a sucker-punch with Olympiacos’ Diogo, extended the derby’s intensity to an extreme.

PAOK’s gateway to the quarterfinals was a tricky regional derby with fierce rivals Aris FC. After a scoreless first leg at Toumba, PAOK took their Greek Cup hopes on the road to defeat their city rivals in a stunning penalty shootout.

There was an easier task at hand for Olympiacos, but the Greek Champions and defending Greek Cup winners made it tougher than it really was as they slipped past OFI Crete with a 2-0.

On that night in Crete, Olympiacos was able to give some of its superstars some time off; tonight it is expected to be a different story. Ernesto Valverde will have a tough time filling the voids, as several of Olympiacos’ regular contributors will sit out the first leg of the quarterfinals.

After a weekend derby win against AEK, Olympiacos’ leading scorer in the Super League Luciano Galletti will miss out on the trip to Northern Greece. Joining Galletti on the sidelines is compatriot Sebastian Leto, and Brazilian striker Diogo. Didier Domi will also miss the derby, as does Kyriakos Papadopoulos, and Leonida Panagopoulos. Meanwhile, Ieroklis Stoltidis continues to remain out of the line-up, after surgery has plagued the Greek holding midfielder.

It’s a likewise situations for PAOK bench boss Fernando Santos, who will have to select somebody other than PAOK’s star striker Zlatan Muslimovic. The plague of injuries don’t appear to rack up as much as it does for the visitors, but PAOK’s Portuguese manager will have to accommodate for the injured Muslimovic. In addition, Miroslaw Sznaucer remains sidelined, and so too does defender Joe Bizera.

For Olympiacos, there is likely to be a debutant among the starting eleven; Matt Derbyshire is expected to make his debut tonight. The on-loan Blackburn Rovers prospect was not named to the weekend roster that faced AEK on Sunday, but with Diogo sidelined Derbyshire is first in line to get the start.

The only other changes coming from Valverde are likely to see Oscar Gonzalez get an appearance in the starting lineup, while Predrag Djordjevic re-emerges from the shadows of injured Leto.

Santos, meanwhile, is likely to select last year’s Beta Ethniki leading scorer as his lone striker as Ilias Anastasakos is tipped to replace the injured Muslimovic.

PAOK will be looking to give Santos a winning send off in his 200^th match as manager in Greece, but the Greek Champions will provide plenty of resistance to rain on Santos’ parade. Historically speaking, PAOK was successful the last three times these two teams met in the Cup. Beating the now Greek Cup winners to claim the 2000/2001 Greek Cup title, PAOK eliminated Olympiacos from the Cup two years later in the quarterfinals.

PAOK FC (Fernando Santos): Chalkias, Glykos, Athanasiadis, Anastasakos, Arambatzis, Darla, Iliadi, Konstantinidis, Malezas, Balafas, Paraliki, Conceicao, Contreras, Garcia, Ivic, Lino, Markos Antonio, Sorlin, Veron.

Olympiacos CFP (Ernesto Valverde): Nikopolidis, Kovac, Pantos, Leonardo, Patsatzoglou, Djordjevic, Belluschi, Zewlakow, Galitsios, Dudu, Torosidis, Derbyshire, Oscar Gonzalez, Mitroglou, Mendrinos, A. Papadopoulos, G. Papadopoulos, Antzas.

After a rather nervy opening five minutes, Olympiacos secured the first chance of the match and it could have nearly been a breakthrough for the visitors. Diogo made a break for the OFI goal and after beating ‘keeper Arkadiusz Malarz, the Brazilian was tackled hard and not allowed to release a shot into the gaping goal.

It wasn’t until the twenty-five minute mark that they had another chance to break the deadlock, instead this time it was Vasilis Torosidis who spurred an effort goal wards. The Greece international rose to the occasion to inflict a header toward the OFI net, but unfortunately for Olympiacos the aerial effort was wide of the goal.

Quickly turning the action the other way, a former Olympiacos player threatened Olympiacos clean sheet as Ioannis Taralidis released a shot from the right flank. Fiercely advancing towards the Olympiacos net, there was just too much height on the effort to trouble ‘keeper Antonis Nikopolidis.

As both teams struggled to get ahead in the game, it was internal mistakes that held both clubs back in their bid to stamp their authority. Few combinations between players from either side were successful, but Olympiacos managed to remain the dominant half despite limited efforts inflicted on OFI’s Polish ‘keeper.

A chance just before the halftime whistle should’ve been turned in by one of the many involved Olympiacos’ players. A corner kick caught the Cretan club off guard, but while its defenders struggled to position themselves, Olympiacos failed to take advantage of their opponents’ blunder as several whacks of the ball were desperately denied by scrambling defenders.

Held to a 0-0 score-line after forty-five minutes, Olympiacos was hungry for the breakthrough shortly after the interval. On fifty-three minutes Predrag Djordjevic had a chance to put Olympiacos ahead, but while the stage was set for the former Olympiaos captain, the Serbian’s effort was just to weak to beat Malarz and a sprawling Cosmin Barcauan.

Six minutes later, Djordjeic had an even better opportunity to score the much desired goal. Sprung on a breakaway, Djordjeic looked to be in the clear as Malarz charged towards the Serb; however, unlike many plays where Djordjevic would round sprawling ‘keepers, Malarz got the best of Djordjevic as his right foot poke the ball away from a clear cut Djordjevic.

With the injection of Fernando Belluschi in place of a retreated Oscar Gonzalez on the hour mark, Olympiacos looked a reenergized side with the newly substitutes Argentine leading the charge.

Within a minute after Belluschi’s introduction, Olympiacos had the best chance of the match thus far. A cross from Galletti found the head of Diogo who smashed his header off the crossbar, before Belluschi tried an overhead effort which ended up sailing just over the goal.

It wasn’t long after that Olympiacos finally found the breakthrough. The regular receiver of crosses, Diogo, displayed his passing game as he sent an aerial pass towards Belluschi. With a perfect header, the former River Plate star put his side ahead after sixty-nine minutes.

Galletti tried to test Malarz’s positioning from long distance as the Argentine fired a hard shot towards the OFI goal, but the spectacular strike was just off target, while Malarz breathed a sigh of relief before slamming his frame into the upright.

While the hunt for a second goal wasn’t as pursued, Olympiacos got a boost when Sebastian Leto was taken down in the box in exchange for a trip to the penalty spot for the defending Greek Cup Champions.

While Galletti had mixed success from the spot throughout the season, he made no mistake on this occasion as he sealed Olympiacos’ spot in the next round by beating Malarz to the right side of the goal.

As reality became clear for OFI, their bid to reach the quarterfinals was left in the dark. A visit from the Super League leaders was not as successful for the hosts as it was back in the early weeks of the domestic season, and OFI’s failure to challenge Olympiacos’ grip on the game.

The two sides will meet again this Saturday, but the stakes will be three points as both sides shift their attention to the Greek Super League.

OFI Crete 0-2 Olympiacos CFP
Belluschi 69′, Galletti 85′

Yellow Cards:
OFI Crete – Roubakis 24′, Barcauan 79′.
Olympiacos CFP – Diogo 14, Dudu 21, Pantos 72′.

OFI Crete (Ioannis Matzourakis): Malarz, Bertin, Barcauan, Roubakis, Taralidis (46′ Kostovski), Pesic (65′ Pineiro), Bezares, Suleap, Cornea, Simic, Popovic.

Olympiacos CFP (Ernesto Valverde): Nikopolidis, Torosidis, Pantos, A. Papadopoulos, Zewlakow, Dudu, Galletti, Mendrinos, Diogo (83′ Mitroglou), Oscar (60′ Belluschi), Djordjevic (65′ Leto).

Referee: Anastasios Kakos

Venue: Pankritio Stadium, Heraklion, Greece.