Olympiakos – Kifisias
Greece - Stoiximan Super League, Round 5
Olympiacos faced a tough challenge in the UEL against Freiburg on September 21st, and they found themselves trailing 3-2 at home. They fell behind three times during the match, with goals from Salay (9'), Green (45+7', penalty), and Philip (86'). However, they managed to equalize twice, thanks to El Kabi (40', 74', assisted by Fortune). The Moroccan goalkeeper missed a significant opportunity in the 6th minute when Olympiacos had a corner kick (25'), and they conceded a goal in injury time (45'+2', Massauras). The appearance of Freiburg, who contributed to the score with a goal (0-1), was notable. There were protests from Piraeus regarding a potential red card for Salai, which was not given, despite his injury to the face (18'). Retsos committed the foul that led to the German penalty. The starting lineup included Martinez. This marked their first loss of the year in the SL, following a 1-1 draw with AEK away (September 17th). They fell behind once again, with Ponce scoring in the 22nd minute, but they equalized through El Kabi (38', assisted by Pontense). They narrowly avoided conceding a goal that was later disallowed due to offside (59', Araujo). Their next match is against Mars on September 27th in the SL.
Regarding Racing News, Martinez has not yet announced the squad, so only estimations can be made about who will be included. However, the final lineup will consist of 11 players. Es (M), an important player, is sidelined due to a facial injury and will miss a few days of training. Ortega (A) is dealing with discomfort, and it's likely he will be rested. Brinic (with) is not included in the European list and is theoretically considered a possibility. Androutsos (a) has been integrated into Olympiacos B, while Jubetic (E) is expected to be part of the starting lineup.
Kifissia had their first match in Caesarea, a venue they will also use in the SL, and they secured an unexpected 4-4 draw against Panserraikos on September 17th. They initially trailed 3-0, conceding three early goals. The opponent's first three goals were scored by Deligiannidis (4'), Staikos (12'), and Bergstrom (22'). Konstantakopoulos (56', assisted by Botia) reduced the deficit, and the 19-year-old scored his first goal as a professional. Ozegovic (72', assisted by Crisyum) made it 2-3, but Botia's own goal (77') put Kifissia in a challenging position (2-4). However, they didn't give up and scored twice after the 90th minute (90'+6' and 90'+11', both from assists by Krismouma), securing a 4-4 draw and showing resilience. They played with a player advantage from the 43rd minute after Hayek's dismissal. In the 36th minute, they hit the crossbar with a shot by Massura. In the 48th minute, they were awarded a penalty, which Deligiannidis missed, but VAR overturned the decision. The experienced French player Landr (A) has been signed, strengthening their options in defense. On September 27th, they will face Lamia in the SL.
In Racing News, Polypiros, a newcomer, will make his debut for the Northern Suburbs team alongside Gobelic (A). Ozegovic (E), who is serving a suspension due to accumulated yellow cards, will be unavailable. Pritsas (M) and Nine (with) remain on the injured list. Landr (A), who was initially considered unprepared for the game, has joined the training. Andregen (E), who was one of Anastasios' three changes in the first half against Panserraikos and influenced the game's flow, is in contention for a starting position.
Despite some changes in the lineup, Olympiacos remains the clear favorite to win against Kifissia. There is a possibility for less-experienced players to get playing time and contribute, so motivation should be high. The guests tend to be involved in high-scoring matches, so we may expect many goals.