The curtain at first Final 8 of the Greek Cup in history they open Panionios and AEKwhich face each other at 15:45 (ΕΟ3, News Bulletin 247 and sport-fm.gr) at “Dyo Aorakia” in Heraklion.
The typical host Panionios has made his own restart this year and is galloping towards promotion from the Second National League counting only one defeat this year. His team Pericles Tavropoulouwithout foreign players but with experienced Greeks with performances from the big category, like the captain Dimitris Verginis, Antonis Mantzaris and Yiannis Sahpatzidisbut also the big one Fani Christodoulou in the role of general leader, he is the big underdog of the octet, but no one can underestimate him. “Historikos” won the newly established UNICEF Trophy by first eliminating OFI and then five teams of the Henry Dunan Elite League, in order Korivo, Megarida, Amyda, Heraklis and FEA. The “red and blue” have as a highlight in their history the Cup they won in 1991, a year in which they had defeated this year’s opponent in the quarter-finals in the semi-finals.
THE AEKfor her part, has wonderful memories of Heraklion, since in “Two Aorakia” won the Cup in 2018 and 2020, while last year it was present in the Final 4, losing in details to the very strong Olympiakos in the semi-finals. “Union” counts five victories in the institution, as well as seven other appearances in the final of the event. The “yellow and black” are coming off a bad home defeat against Lavrio for the Basket League, where they showed tiredness from the continuous difficult games in the league and Basketball Champions League. THE Elias Kanzouris he will hardly have him at his disposal Alexander Madsen, since although the Finnish center has shown an improvement in his injury to the back, he is not yet ready and will logically be “cut” from the six of the foreigners. Also out of the fight is O Dimitris Mavroidis.
The referees of the match will be Kardaris, Theonas and Katrachouraswhile the winner of the match will play in Saturday’s semi-final (15:45) with that of today’s second quarter-final, between Peristeri bwin and PAOK (19:15).
Panionios and AEK have faced each other six other times in the past in the institution of the Cup and two different periods in the quarter-finals, with “Union” getting the ticket. Analytically:
29/12/1988 (Quarterfinal) AEK-Panionios 87-69
08/02/1989 (Quarterfinal) Panionios-AEK 56-54
04/03/1991 (Semi-final) Panionios-AEK 85-82
23/09/1996 (Second Phase) AEK-Panionios 82-7
19/01/2000 (Quarterfinal) AEK-Panionios 76-73
22/09/2001 (3rd Phase) Panionios-AEK 82-74
Source: Sport Fm
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