Aris
- Aris are seventh in the Super League with 22 points after 18 matches, giving them a solid mid-table position.
- Aris Thessaloniki will be happy to have Manolo Jimenez at the helm because his style of disciplined, possession-based soccer with proactive pressing suits the quality his team possesses and makes them difficult to beat.
- Jimenez’s men like to control the midfield and will look to press up high and press their opponents into mistakes when they have possession.
Panetolikos
- Panetolikos have lost their last five league games, scoring one goal and conceding 13.
- Panetolikos, who are in 12th place with 15 points from 18 matches, look as if they need a miracle to avoid the drop.
- Jorge Aguirre is likely to be the key player in the hosts line-up as a direct runner and set-piece threat, although Panetolikos have been woeful going forward this season.
- He has set up his side to play in a compact shape, sit deep and be patient in possession before switching the ball quickly and getting their best players to hurt the opposition on the counter.
Head-to-Head
Recent cup meetings between these sides should ensure there is no lack of familiarity between the two squads and recent history suggests this will be a close game too.
Key Players
- Monchu is the creative pivot who runs the show and provides the spark for them to come alive while Uroš Račić is the energetic midfielder who gets them on the front foot with his driving runs.
- Račić’s goal against Levadiakos, a long-range beauty, typified his role as the engine of the team while Fredrik Jensen offers plenty of width on the right wing, stretching teams with his pace and having scored the equaliser in the 1-1 draw with AEK.
- Jorge Aguirre is likely to be the key player in the hosts line-up as a direct runner and set-piece threat, although Panetolikos have been woeful going forward this season.
- Diego Esteban Pérez has been a creative spark on occasions but Panetolikos, who are in 12th place with 15 points from 18 matches, look as if they need a miracle to avoid the drop.
Betting Insights
- The bookmakers have Aris as slight favorites at 2.08 with Panetolikos 3.6 and the draw 3.0, which seems about right given the visitors have been more solid and have more quality in the midfield.
- A win for Aris would help them close the gap to the top half and Panetolikos desperately need points to escape relegation danger, so both teams will try to push for a victory, but under 2.5 goals is still a low odds at 1.55.
Prediction
- This game will be a match of chess between Aris’ midfield control and Panetolikos’ deep block.
- It should be cagey with both managers looking to outwit the other.
- Recent meetings have been tight with narrow results, but our preference is still for the more consistent side to edge it on Saturday.
