Panathinaikos vs OFI Crete Prediction: Panathinaikos must win

Both teams are under big pressure as Panathinaikos lost two matches in a row, in the league against Aris and in the Europa League against Villareal which upset the fans. OFI on the other hand are winless in their last 5 matches and after the great start of the season, they are dropping down the table every round. Panathinaikos are huge favorites at home in front of their fans and I expect to see them dominating the match all 90 minutes.

Form: LLWLW

Panathinaikos are in 1st position but they have only a point more than Olympiakos and AEK Athens and 2 more from PAOK. The title race is on fire and they can’t afford to lose points as they did in the last round against Aris. In that match they were the favorite but, in the end, they were defeated 2:0. On Thursday they were defeated again in a match of the Europa League by Villareal in a really exciting match. It really disappointed the fans and now they want to see their team bouncing back in a style and OFI are good opponent for that at the moment. 

Form: DDLLD

OFI Crete started the season well, they were in the upper part of the table, but after some players were injured and tiredness seems to catch up with the players, their form dropped. OFI Crete are in 8th position with 3 wins, 6 draws, and 3 defeats. In the last 5 matches, they have 3 draws and 2 defeats. They have played two draws in a row against teams that are much weaker than them, Volos and Giannina when everyone expected OFI Crete to easily win. They aren’t doing well in away matches with 3 draws and 2 defeats and even they are aware that it is almost impossible to hope to get some points against Panathinaikos.

Comparing these teams, it’s obvious that Panathinaikos are several levels better than OFI Crete at the moment. After two defeats the “Greens” from Athens are under pressure to win and to remain at the top of the table. OFI Crete have right to hope for a miracle, but their recent form is really poor and traditionally they aren’t doing well against Panathinaikos, especially in Athens. I believe that Panathinaikos will push hard from the start and win confidently with several goals scored against OFI Crete.