Kifisia (home team)
- Sebastián Leto’s side will need to improve on their return to the Greek top flight if they are to make it into the top half of the table this season.
- Leto is a disciple of the compact, organised approach to football and has overseen Kifisia’s rise to mid-table mediocrity by installing a relentless pressing game and a sturdy 4-3-3 system that is attack-minded and makes good use of the pace and width of wide men Jeremy Antonisse and Yasser Larouci.
PAOK (away team)
- Răzvan Lucescu’s side have won four of their last five competitive matches, including consecutive 3-0 victories in January.
- The veteran coach has led the club back to the upper echelons of Greek football and they have maintained a dominant position with around 35-38 points, around 18-19 clear of Kifisia's position in eighth.
Head-to-Head
PAOK have beaten Kifisia 6-0 and 3-0 in two of their three Super League meetings since the latter’s return.
Key Players
- Kifisia
- Jorge Pombo is the creative engine and top scorer for the hosts.
- Pavlos Pantelidis is the set-piece threat the hosts can call upon.
- Jeremy Antonisse provides pace and width on the flanks.
- Yasser Larouci provides pace and width on the flanks.
- PAOK
- Veteran Brazilian winger Taison remains a game-winner for PAOK, as he proved with a late double against Kifisia.
- Georgios Giakoumakis has been the spearhead of a PAOK frontline that has the firepower to put away any team in Greece.
- Magomed Ozdoev provides the defensive stability and forward thrust that allows the other players in PAOK’s 4-2-3-1 to get on with their jobs.
Betting Insights
- A draw on Sunday would be a major achievement for the home side.
- We’re taking the 1.8 ‘Both Teams to Score’ odds for the host to get on the scoresheet while the long shots of 6.75 and 4.55 tell us everything we need to know about the likely outcome of the game.
Prediction
- Pombo and Pantelidis could make this a close game, but PAOK’s superior quality and depth in all areas of the pitch should be enough to see them win by two or more goals.
- Kifisia’s pressing could unsettle the visitors’ build-up play in the early stages.
