Can Olympiacos Put Recent Struggles Behind Them as They Host Panathinaikos in the Greek Cup
Olympiacos FC vs Panathinaikos - 17/01/2024
Giannis Papanikos / Shutterstock.com
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We have reached the second legs in the round of 16 in the Greek Cup and the there is no doubt which game is the match of the round as Olympiacos meet Panathinaikos.
The game will be played at the Stadio Harilaou Kleánthis Vikelídis and the hosts are currently 4th in the Super League on 35 points while the visitors are in second place on 41 points. The first leg ended 1-1.
Olympiacos come into the match on the back of a 3-2 win at Kifisia in the Super League on the weekend. It was a game Olympiacos were hoping to win comfortably as Kifisia are bottom of the table but having taken a 2-0 lead, Olympiacos were reduced to ten men and the hosts came back to level the match in the second half.
However, even with a player off the pitch, Olympiacos still had enough to score the winning goal in the 85th minute.
The win over Kifisia was the first victory in 5 fixtures in all competitions for Olympiacos. They suffered back to back defeats in the Super League against Lamia away and AEK Athens at home. There were also draws at Atromitos in the league and Panathinaikos in the Greek Cup.
Trends show Olympiacos are undefeated in 9 of their 10 most recent Greek Cup games. They have won 5 of their last 6 Greek Cup matches on home soil and have seen both teams score in 4 of their last 5 at home.
Panathinaikos make the short trip to the Stadio Harilaou Kleánthis Vikelídis having picked up a point thanks to a 2-2 draw at AEK Athens in the Super League on the weekend. Panathinaikos fell behind in the 24th minute but equalised 7 minutes later.
Into the second half and Panathinaikos took the lead in the 66th minute but conceded an agonising equaliser from the penalty spot in the 96th minute.
The draw at AEK Athens means Panathinaikos are undefeated in their 5 most recent fixtures in all competitions. There have been wins over PAS Giannina and Panaitolikos at home in the Super League plus a 3-0 win Volos NFC in the league.
In terms of the Greek Cup, Panathinaikos have failed to win any of their last 3 matches in the competition. However, they are undefeated in 5 of their last 6 Greek Cup fixtures on the road.
Team news and Olympiacos could make a couple of changes to their starting XI from the weekend, with Andreas Ntoi and Youssef El-Arabi both hoping to come into the team.
Panathinaikos are unlikely to make many changes to their team, with the inclusion of Dimitris Limnios at the expense of Benjamin Verbič being a possibility.
The derby of the eternal enemies is always a great occasion in Greek football, especially in the cup.
We expect another close game and for both teams to find the back of the net. In terms of a correct score, 2-2 is not out of the question and that could lead to extra time and penalties.
Home team
Away team
Pred
Correct score
Avg. goals
Weather conditions
Coef.
Score
Live
coef.
GrC
353827
X
2 - 2
2.51
15°
3.20
2.25
3.20
3.40
no
no
no
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