Larissa – Tilikratis
Greece - Novibet Greek Cup, Round 4
Larissa made a return to AEL FC ARENA after three years, coinciding with a 2-1 victory over Campania in the league opener. The match was marked by incidents between the fans of both teams, and its overall display was below expectations. The atmosphere was tense, with numerous banners focusing on the devastating floods, and many slogans against politicians were chanted. Larissa started strongly and took the lead with a goal from Ogboe in the 22nd minute, but conceded an equalizer in the 36th minute. However, they quickly regained the lead four minutes later with Kostas Papageorgiou. Tensions flared on the pitch with bottles thrown, and fans from both teams almost came to blows. Larissa had three more opportunities to score, but couldn't find another goal. There were wild celebrations at the final whistle. Unfortunately, Sarate suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus and will be sidelined for the season. Additionally, Theodoropoulos, Venetikidis, Kaloutsikidis, Stamou, and Plegas are unavailable.
Telicrates had a historic debut in the Southern group of Super League 2, securing a 1-0 victory over the more experienced Aigaleos, which brought excitement and optimism for the challenging games ahead. Despite primarily consisting of players from last season who won the championship in the 3rd national team, they displayed a strong performance and handled the challenges of the match well. In the first half, they played defensively, and their goalkeeper, Pardalos, made a crucial save. They improved in the second half, creating two good opportunities (70', 76'), and had two more important saves while also benefiting from a bit of luck to snatch the victory in the 88th minute with a goal from Kokkoris. They qualified for the Greek Cup in the previous round with a 1-0 away victory over Haniotis, with Niforopoulos scoring in stoppage time.
While Larissa may not have fully met expectations in their league opener, they tend to be strong at their home stadium. Telicrates has won two official matches in a row with late goals.