Greek Super League 2020-2021 Top Five Predictions

Greek Super League 2020-2021 Top Five Predictions 

By: Antonios Theodosis 

 

The new season is quickly approaching with many fans excited about where their teams will finish. The top five teams are all in there with a shot at winning the league title so long as they are able to strengthen their squads. Some of them, like AEK, have their core group of players set while others, such as Panathinaikos and Olympiakos are looking at vast overhauls of their squads. It goes without saying that this coming season will prove to be one that will be exciting as there is not one team that stands out above the rest at this particular moment in time. With that said, here are my predictions of who will finish where in the top five of the Greek Super League in the 2020-2021 season. 

 

First Place: AEK 

 

I have chosen AEK for first place as out of the other four teams they seem to be the most complete. Massimo Carrera has really steadied the ship at AEK and his side played some very entertaining football in the playoffs. Speaking with AEK fans the general consensus is that the core squad is good and that realistically the defensive line may need some bolstering. 

I would have to agree, their midfield is quite balanced and creative and their forwards such as Marco Livaja are tried and tested in the Super League. Defensively the Enosi have bolstered the left hand side by signing former Panathinaikos defender Emanuel Insua, who proved to be one of the green’s better players the last couple of seasons. AEK may have to look into signing another goalkeeper however as they recently lost their starting keeper, Barkas to Scottish giants Celtic. With that said, the Athenian based club seems to be the most stable in terms of what they have and only need to bolster a few pieces. As mentioned earlier, Carrera had this side playing beautiful football in the playoffs and the summer preparations will allow him to hone in his philosophy and bring in the players he deems fit to succeed. 

Second Place: Olympiakos 

 

For second spot I have chosen Olympiakos, who after an incredible 2019-2020 season, have seen their core squad of players almost completely dismantled. The reds have recently lost young prospect Kostas Tsimikas to powerhouse club Liverpool. 

Their core defensive unit Ba and Semedo have also been linked with moves away from the club along with their shot stopper Jose Sa. With that said I have Olympiakos finishing second as their manager, Martins has proven to be quite the tactician. 

The Portuguese coach completely revamped an Olympiakos side that had been struggling for a couple of seasons and playing lackadaisical football. The side we saw last season put on a dazzling display of football and even made some noise in the Europa League. 

However, the manager can only do so much, I believe that finding and signing the right replacements for Olympiakos will be vital and that can either go really well or can go wrong. For that reason I have them finishing right behind an AEK team who does not have to rebuild and replace as many key components as this Olympiakos side does. 

 

Third Place: PAOK 

 

Taking third spot I have chosen Thessaloniki giants PAOK. The Dikefaloi tou vora did not necessarily enjoy a thrilling campaign last season. They had for a time challenged Olympiakos for the title, but after some off-field decisions were made it seems that the Thessaloniki based side lost their momentum. 

For a huge part of the playoffs we saw that fans were upset with the coach Abel Ferreira, who made some key tactical mistakes in derby matches, but with that said I believe a big problem at PAOK is some of the players on the team. PAOK, like Olympiakos may need to overhaul their squad, but under different circumstances. 

Olympiakos’ squad was actually cohesive and playing quality football, whereas some of the members of PAOK’s squad were very underwhelming. If the Dikefaloi don't get their squad issues sorted out in time I realistically cant see them finishing above Olympiakos or AEK. 

 

Fourth Place: Panathinaikos 

 

In fourth I have chosen Panathinaikos. The Prasinoi had an average season in 2019-2020 with a squad full of randomly selected loan players mixed with academy players such as Tasos Xatziovanis and Giannis Bouzoukis. The Athenian club have acquired a host of new players over the summer and most importantly hired a new coach. 

This is a key reason as to why I have Panathinaikos finishing in fourth place. The club has gone in a completely new direction with a squad overhaul and even an increase in the budget from management. There are still spots that need to be filled, particularly at Right-Back and Left-Back where Panathinaikos have suffered the biggest blows. 

Time will tell whether or not the greens will be able to find suitable replacements. The goal for the club will be to get back into Europe and build some momentum so there will be a lot of trial and error in the league I suspect. 

 

Fifth Place: Aris

 

And in fifth place I have Aris. Aris under current manager Michael Oenning have really exemplified what it means to be a dark horse team in the league. 

The Thessaloniki based side on their day can prove to upset any of the other four clubs mentioned on this list. With a squad composed of players like Bruno Gama and Ioannis Fetfatzidis, Aris are typically an exciting team to watch in the league. 

However, they have lost some core players this transfer window with Fran Velez leaving on a free deal to Athenian rivals Panathinaikos. Along with this other key components of their squad such as Ioannis Fetfatzidis and Daniel Sundgren have been linked with a move away throughout the summer. 

The club struggles with not having the same resources financially as the other clubs mentioned on this list, and it is a key reason as to why I don't see them finishing better than fifth place in the coming season. 

 

 

2020-2021 Cup Winner: AEK 

 

For the Greek cup I will have to go with AEK yet again. AEK have essentially perfected their approach to the Greek cup competition over the last few years. 

They have made the cup final several times over the seasons and have faced off against PAOK and Olympiakos in their battle for cup glory. They have players in their squad with experience and as mentioned earlier they play great football under their current manager. 

AEK’s stable performances in the cup competition are a key reason as to why I have got them winning. 

 

With everything said and done a lot more can happen from right now to the start of the season. Clubs have not fully finished bringing in new players and transferring out others. 

My core opinion however will most likely remain the same, Olympiakos and Panathinaikos will be dealing with overhauled squads and in Olympiakos’ case looking to replace key players. On PAOK’s end they will seriously need to revamp their squad and there is no telling if Abel Ferreira will even be PAOK’s manager by Christmas time. 

At this particular moment in time AEK seem to be the ones with the least to worry about and that is exactly why I have them dubbed to have an excellent season. 

Hellas Football 

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