Panathinaikos with 19 Greek Cup wins faces Aris Salonica, standing in their way for a historic 20th title in Greek football history.
Match Preview
While Panathinaikos have already secured 19 Greek Cup victories, Aris have only lifted the trophy once, back in 1970, despite reaching the final nine times.
This will be Aris’ first Greek Cup final appearance in 14 years, and history isn’t on their side as they face a determined Panathinaikos.
The Greens last won the cup in 2022 and will be making their 30th final appearance on Saturday. Only their arch-rivals, Olympiacos, have more Greek Cup victories than Panathinaikos.
After finishing fourth in the Greek Super League this season, Panathinaikos see the Greek Cup as their ticket to European competition next season.
They ended the league campaign just eight points behind the leaders, PAOK.
Meanwhile, Aris finished fifth, trailing Panathinaikos by 17 points.
Head-to-Head:
Since 2003, Panathinaikos and Aris have faced off 46 times across all competitions, with Panathinaikos winning 26 times, drawing 10, and losing 10, outscoring Aris 53-28.
However, Panathinaikos are currently winless in their last four matches.
This season, the two teams split their four encounters, each winning twice.
In the regular season, Aris won 2-0 at home but lost by the same scoreline in the reverse fixture.
During the Championship Playoffs, Panathinaikos secured a 2-0 win away at Aris, who then won the reverse fixture 1-0.
Clean sheets have been a trend in their recent matchups, with three of the four games ending 2-0.
Team News & Updates:
Panathinaikos reached the final after a dramatic penalty shootout win over PAOK, with the aggregate score tied at 2-2. They triumphed 6-5 on penalties.
Aris had a less thrilling semifinal, winning 1-0 on aggregate against Panetolikos.
Fotis Ioannidis led Panathinaikos in scoring during the Super League with 15 goals, while Aris’ Loren Moron netted 20 times in the league.
Prediction & Analysis:
Despite Aris winning two of their matches against Panathinaikos this season, our prediction favors Panathinaikos to win, securing their 20th Greek Cup title.
- Panathinaikos 2-0 Aris Salonica
