Why I think that Asteras Tripolis Will Finish In A European Spot

Why I think that Asteras Tripolis Will Finish In A European Spot

(2-4, presuming that a team placed 1-3 wins the Greek Cup)

By:Alexander Koutakos

Asteras Tripolis are hot, very hot! Moreover, they have won their last 6 games in the #SLGR! Asteras’s superb run of form has seen them score 8 goals and only concede 1 in their past 6 games. In their superb run, they have beaten Aris(2-1), Apollon Smyrni(1-0), Panetolikos(2-0), Larissa(1-0), OFI(1-0) and Volos (1-0). 

In this article, I will be writing about the current battle for the european places(2-4), why I think that Asteras Tripolis will finish in a european place (2-4) and why I believe that player quality will not be the deciding and determining factor in the battle for the European places (2-4).

The Current Battle For The European Places

With Olympiacos 15 points ahead in the league and having practically wrapped up the league,the battle for the european places (2-4) in the Greek Super League is heating up! Currently, Aris lead the pack with 42 points, AEK and PAOK are third and fourth respectively with 40 points, Panathinaikos are fifth with 38 points and Asteras Tripolis are sixth with 36 points. All 5 of those teams have the ability to finish in a european spot. The race for a european spot(2-4) is wide-open and will be quite fun to watch!  

Asteras are statistically and financially the most unlikely to finish in the top 4. However, I do believe that Asteras will finish in the top 4. To further explain my reasoning behind this, I will dedicate the next paragraph of this article for that. 

Why I Think That Asteras Tripolis Will Finish In A European Spot(2-4)

In tight positional battles, superior coaching is very significant in terms of determining the outcome. 

At the moment Asteras’s coach is Milan Rastavac. Milan Rastavac is a relatively young coach (47 years old), however he has coached Serbia’s u-23, Xanthi and has been the assistant coach of the Serbian National Team! 

He likes to play counter-attacking football based on a reliable defensive unit, forward runs and pin-point passing throughout the pitch. He has greatly increased the level of play at Asteras this season. 

Moreover, despite the enormous budget of Asteras’s rivals for a european spot(PAO, PAOK,AEK and Aris), Rastavac has kept the Arcadians within reach.  

His coaching abilities were the reason why Asteras beat Panathinaikos and Aris in the league. The former and the latter are both in the race for a european spot! On the other hand, Manolo Jimenez(AEK) and Pablo Garcia(PAOK) have made AEK and PAOK’s season a rollercoaster to say the least. 

Rastavac on the other hand, has settled the ship and has led Asteras to a 6-game winning streak. The game against Lamia(tomorrow), will probably make it 7 and result in Asteras leapfrogging Panathinaikos! Asteras also has an advantage, in terms of their playing style( relying on a defensive block and then creating a quick pounce on the counter-attack), in comparison to other teams in the hunt for Europe . 

Moreover, PAO, Aris, PAOK and AEK are all vulnerable to counter-attacks and have trouble breaking down strong defences(like Asteras's)! As you have just read, Asteras has superior coaching and has a system that has and probably will inflict damage on other european spot contenders! Now you(the reader), might say that Asteras has an inferior player quality than the other teams in contention. That is true. However, player quality does not always determine which team finishes above the other. To further explain my reasoning behind that, I have dedicated the next paragraph solely for that purpose.

Why I Think That Player Quality Will Not Be A Deciding And Determining Factor In The Battle For The European Spots(2-4)

Having better player quality does not result in winning a game 100% of the time. An example of this was when Atletico Madrid beat Barcelona this season. In this case Barca has a higher player quality than Atletico. 

The difference between the two teams was their cohesion and not the player quality! Atletico's players were on the same page and on the other hand, Barca's players were all over the place. Moreover, De jong and Pjanic were giving the ball away and Saul and Koke were providing marvelous passes from the midfield. Anyways, I think that cohesion will  be the deciding factor in the battle for the european spots. 

Currently, Asteras Tripolis have an uphill battle. However, their coach is phenomenal and they play in a system(4-2-3-1), that suits them very well. When they play you can tell that they are on the same page and have a strong level of squad cohesion. Furthermore, their passes are intricate, delicious and have purpose. PURPOS

E!! Not the Bouchalakis type passes! On the contrary, PAO, Aris, AEK and PAOK have all had problems with squad cohesion recently. For PAOK, the Warda off-field incidents and when they got demolished by Olympiacos, both displayed problems regarding cohesion. 

For Aris, they lost against Asteras in the #SLGR and were outplayed,outhought and did not play as a team. For AEK, Manolo Jimenez's style of play does not correspond with what he has at his disposal. Lastly, Panathinaikos have had multiple incomings and departures during the winter transfer window. 

Too many, in my opinion. Which could and most likely will result in a lack of cohesion amongst the players. Due to the aforementioned, it is clear that Asteras Tripolis are doing phenomenal in terms of team cohesion in comparison to Aris, PAO,PAOK and AEK. 

In conclusion, despite Asteras’s inferior player quality,I believe that Asteras will finish in a european spot due to their superior coaching and squad cohesion!

 ΠΑΜΕ ΕΥΡΩΠΗ !!!

Hellas Football

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