AEK for the double after 45 years, PAOK for prestige and a good European ticket

The big moment has arrived!



AEK and PAOK they cross their swords at the great one final of the Novibet Hellenic Cup at the Panthessal Stadium of Volos (20:30, Comsote Sports 1, News Bulletin 247, sport-fm.gr), in a match that will determine the last title of this season.

Tonight is the fifth “Doubleheader” derby this season, as the two matches for the regular duration of the Stoiximan Super League and the two playoffs were preceded. In three of these four games, “Union” came away with three points of victory (2-0 and 4-0 at home and 1-0 away), with PAOK winning the other match in Toumba (2-0).

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The “Double Headers” will face each other in a final for seventh time in their history and fourth in the last seven years, in the 81st final of the event. Both count from three conquests in their previous six meetings, with AEK taking the seasons title 1938/39, 1977/78 and 1982/83with PAOK “responding” with three consecutive titles in as many finals from 2016 to 2019.

For “Join” tonight will be the 27th appearance of the Cup final, having conquered 15 times the trophy, with the most recent being seven years ago against Olympiakos.

His team Matias Almeida wants to close this year in the best possible way historic year of the club, in which he not only joined the her new “home”but he also returned to the top of Greek football by conquering it Stoiximan Super League. In fact, AEK has a prime opportunity to do so third double of its history and first after 45 whole years!

On the other hand, the Thessalonians they will give the “present” for 23rd time in a final, claiming the 9th Cup in their history. In recent years, his team Razvan Lucescu has converted on… a personal matter of the event, having participated in five finals in the last six years, counting four conquests! The only defeat came in last year’s final against Panathinaikos.

Apart from the prestige and the prospect of another title, tonight’s final has one more significance for PAOK. And that’s because after a transitional year who made radical changes in all areas, the “Two-Headed of the North” will have the opportunity to take the third good European ticket leading to the Europa League.

In racing now, the AEK traveled “armored” and bundled up in the capital of Magnesia, with Matias Almeida taking everyone on the mission, even the wounded one, Sergio Araujo.

The same tactic was chosen by Razvan Lucescu, who after the end of yesterday’s training, which was “present” by hundreds of friends of the team in order to they are psychologically intoxicating the players, took all the players on the mission, including the injured one, Nelson Oliveira.

“All matches are different. We don’t have an advantage. We are facing a difficult opponent, which is why we are both teams in the final. There are many reasons to come out and fight for this cup. The first is that AEK has won two doubles while next year it completes 100 years of history. In other words, there is a historical motivation. And the second is that he has lost three finals against PAOK. It gives all of us in the AEK family extra motivation to give that little bit more”, said the Argentinian coach of AEK among others.

“We have played many times, we know how each other plays. It’s a final and what counts most is momentum. When you get there be mentally ready, focused and cool, ready to win. On paper, AEK are favorites for the final, but I don’t think that matters for those who work in football. It is a final, everyone is ready to give everything, they are motivated at the highest level and we will see how each team will manage the moments in the match, the pressure to win, the pressure from the opponent, how they will take advantage of the opportunities.”, said Razvan Lucescu, among others.

Possible lineups:



AEK (Matias Almedia): Stankovic – Rota, Mitoglou, Tzavellas, Hadjisafi – Simanski, Mandalos, Pineda, Eliasson – Zuber, Levia Garcia.

PAOK (Razvan Lucescu): Kotarski – Sastre, Ingason, Koulierakis, Rafa Soares – Schwab, Dandas – Zivkovic, Constantelias, Tyson – Brandon Thomas.

Referee: Felix Brich

1st Assistant: Mark Bors

2nd Assistant: Stephen Loop

4th Referee: Angel Evangelou

VAR: Ginder Pearl

AVAR: Vasilios Nikolakakis

Observer: Vasilios Terovitsas