Contrary to all those who insist on poisoning everything, this year’s football championship promises to be the most exciting in recent years and promises a dramatic finale worthy of the expectations generated by the high level of competition during the longest regular season. , capable, – someone will say with a fair amount of optimism, – to interrupt all the screams, which have recently become louder and louder.

Of the six teams in the playoffs, four (Panathinaikos, AEK, Olympiacos and PAOK – by standings) claim the title with a small difference in points, and far from them, but very close to each other, Aris and Volos are fighting for European ticket, which makes this race even more exciting.

The stadiums are packed as never before in a decade and everything points to a winner being decided in detail.

“K” asked three experienced and “neutral” trainers to talk about this exciting battle that has just begun. Three “lit” football players, whose opinion has more … special weight. Here’s what they said:

“For the first time, the playoffs are so ambiguous and exciting. The title was not evaluated, as in all previous years, and four teams claim it with a difference between them of no more than 5 points. To say who will win is a big risk, because nine competitive derbies can easily refute any prediction. The competition is big, nothing is taken for granted. You saw how strong Aris came out with PAOK, he could have won.

Panathinaikos has stability in plan, reliability that gives him confidence and a manager who has worked well with him since last year. His downside is that the way he attacks doesn’t help him use space and create opportunities on the open field.

AEK has momentum, quality and a very capable coach who managed to make all the players “soldiers” in his game plan. Her biggest weakness is that no matter how high she plays, when the opponent interrupts her pressing, she often loses her defensive balance.

Olympiacos was delayed a lot, but found a balance, with the distribution of roles and the strategic plan, there is no lack of quality. He doesn’t have the same profile as AEK or Panathinaikos, he’s somewhere in between. He no longer takes risks easily, but he has a slow defensive transition and if he opens too much he will be dangerous against fast teams.

PAOK is the most balanced team in defense, offense, transitions and has solutions in terms of formation, both against organized defense and in open spaces. This is a team with ideas and a plan, the main disadvantage of which is that they often lose the ball near their zone and crash.

The toxicity that the league suffers from starts with our inability to accept the rules. All greats start with the goal of a title. Only one will get it, and the rest can’t get over the fact that they didn’t win it. It is also a financial issue that creates a lot of tension. The championship will be won by the one who manages to become the best team at all levels. The people in charge should have the same goal: to get organized, to create the best squad, to have a strategic plan. Competition will help them take a step forward, but for this they must stop starting back …

This year, no Greek team has been competitive in Europe and that’s the problem. In Cyprus, where I was for two years, they were more successful. But here the level is much better, and I think that this negative image of our teams in Europe is a bad moment. I believe we will play much better in the future and as a footballer I want to be tested.”

“To make predictions about winning the title after what we saw in the regular season is extremely risky. All four teams are sets with different characteristics, which, however, as we found out, are enough for them to be in the top, and also make up their advantages for the final battles. In this mini-championship, the winner will be the one who looks the most focused, makes the fewest mistakes, and gets closer to 100% of his playing profile, allowing him to cash in on the points left over from the regular season.

I personally think that Panathinaikos will have the most consistency in the plan he has kept throughout the year in these matches. And he showed it in the first game of the playoffs, where he managed to leave New Philadelphia unscathed by reading the opponent’s style of play well. That’s what gives him a slight advantage in the fight for first place, in my opinion. In relation to the other three, Panathinaikos is a team that may not impress, but always thinks that they are at the top and that they need to be kept there at all costs. He faithfully follows his defensive scheme adapted to the opponent, which I think will happen in the future.

To win a championship, you have to be cynical, aim for points first, and Jovanovic and his players have been consistent this year. They have patience in the game, something that will be needed in the playoffs.

Other than that, the roster’s controls and superweapons are important stats, where AEK has an advantage, although he’s found to be vulnerable defensively, as well as through many of the finishing phases he creates.

Olympiacos has offended himself and is running to catch up. To have any hope, he will have to take advantage of a decent start and three tied wins before the Avenue derby. PAOK, although I really like him, I think he has no hope.”

“As you can see from the standings of the regular season of the championship, at the moment there are four contenders for the title. Panathinaikos, AEK, Olympiakos and PAOK. I would give a slight advantage to the first two teams because of the difference in the standings, but this does not mean that we should write off both the “red-whites” and the “northern doubleheader”.

As we can see, two potential groups have formed in this playoff, one with the top four, and the second with Aris and Volos. The competitive behavior of these two teams, aiming for Europe and not for the title, will be decisive for the level of the competition and its results.

As for the Big Four, Panathinaikos trailblazers have a solid line-up and consistently deliver high standards in most of the games they’ve played. AEK has been playing quality football for a long time, but without corresponding efficiency. Olympiacos has shown in recent months that it has some important players in key positions and has acquired a competitive identity that it did not have in the first half of the season. Finally, PAOK also looks competitive and the reason is that its players show intensity and quality in their games. It’s also worth looking at what the Big Four have done to each other that will play their part in the playoffs. PAOK have 10 points, Panathinaikos 8 and AEK and Olympiacos 7. As for the games between the six teams that entered the playoffs, PAOK and Panathinaikos each have 20 points, AEK 16, Olympiacos 14, and Aris with Volos are much further with 7.

Based on all of the above, I believe that the outcome of the playoffs will be very ambiguous and it will be difficult to predict the final winner, while not forgetting the fact that second place is no less important, which also leads to Champions League qualification.

Play-off day 2 and Super League 1 play-out are scheduled for two days on April 1-2, where Toumba is dominated by a derby between two “two-headed” PAOK – AEK, on ​​the day when pioneer Panathinaikos hosts Volos and Olympiacos on Ari.

With the “green” at 62 degrees, the Union at 60, the “red-white” at 59 and the “Two-headed North” at 57, everyone understands that the “thermometer” will rise – a wish to everyone only in a competitive context. Even further away are the regulators of Mars with 40 b.p. and Volos from 39 will also give his mini-battle there with great interest.

In the “tail” Levadinsky and Ionian from 18 b. they will struggle to avoid the last two positions where they are: Lamia has a two-point cushion (20 points) and PAS Janina has 23 points. theoretically, to feel more secure.