With probably the most… anti-commercial but definitely the most unpredictable pair complete their quarterfinals Final-8 of Cup.
THE Prometheus of Patras and Panionios face each other in “Dyo Aorakia” for a place in the top four (21:00, COSMOTE SPORT 5, sport-fm.gr, News Bulletin 247), where they will face the winner of the pair between Olympiakos and Peristeri bwinwhich will take place earlier.
On the one hand, the Patrinos are having an excellent season on all fronts. The entirety of it Elias Papatheodorou has a 10-8 record in the league and has all but sealed a top-five spot while in the BCL’s Round of 16, where it has also set the stage for a quarter-final berth. Having some very quality foreigners (Hale, Kawan, Etsenike, Coffey) and some experienced Greeks (Koniaris, Chrysikopoulos), the Prometheus enters the Cup to claim any chances he has.
Opposite them, the Patrinos will find him Panionio. His team Ari Lykogiannis it is at Final-8 as he secured a place through him UNICEF Trophy. The Blues are the only non-league side in the Cup as they play in the Elite League, although they will likely be back in the… big leagues by the end of the season as they lead with a 15-6 record.
The team of New Smyrna is the clear outsider both against Prometheus and in the tournament in general, nevertheless its roster could comfortably stand in the top division, with very experienced players like Verginis, Milendijevic, Vougioukas, Gikas and Kaklamanakis. Panionios certainly has nothing to fear against Patrinos and will fight for qualification, as it did last year, when it troubled AEK Betsson in the quarter-finals, before finally being eliminated in overtime.
Ahead of the match, Prometheus’ coach, Ilias Papatheodoroustated: “Our presence here is important, it was one of our initial goals in the season. We managed to do it relatively early on and this is a big deal for us. The Cup is an institution of surprises and last year Panionios, despite competing in the B’ National, had made it very difficult for AEK. We have no reason to underestimate a team that has an experienced and very good material and A1 level players and is historic. We will prepare in the way required for a Final 8 and it is a challenging game for us and we want to progress.”
On the other hand, Mr Aris Lykogiannis stated: “We are playing against a team that has played good basketball and we have a difficult task. We must prepare physically and mentally, muster the energy. It will be a good test for us and we want to claim the chances of qualification that we have.”
The refereeing trio of the match will be as follows: Tsarouha, Maglogiannis, Christinakis.
Detailed match schedule and pairings up to the final:
Quarterfinals
15/2, 18:00 Panathinaikos AKTOR – AEK Betsson (1)
15/2, 21:00 PAOK – Aris (2)
16/2, 18:00 Olympiacos – Peristeri bwin (3)
16/2, 21:00 Prometheus Patras – Panionios (4)
Semifinals (17/2)
18:00 Winner 1-Winner 2 (5)
21:00 Winner 3-Winner 4 (6)
Final (18/2)
19:00 Winner 5-Winner 6
Source: Sport Fm
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
