Aris vs PAOK Prediction: Thessaloniki’s derby never dissapoints

Recently this local derby in Thessaloniki between Aris and PAOK is becoming one of the fiercest in Greece. Of course, PAOK are more successful team and have more fans in the city, but Aris are constantly improving and in the past few years are always near or in the top four. Six points are between these teams in the table, but both teams have very bad results in the previous few rounds, so the pressure is high on both managers. I expect a very tense and tight match between these city rivals.

Aris

Form: LLLWW

Aris opened this season brilliantly and were at the very top of the table for a long time next to the giants in Greece. However, a steep decline followed after that, and they are currently only in 5th place in the table with 27 points. They are currently in a very bad shape, having tied 3 consecutive defeats in the domestic championship. In the last round, they were defeated by Olympiakos with a score of 2:1. It’s obvious that their confidence is very low, and this derby comes at a very bad moment for them. I can’t see them winning this match, and I believe that a draw is their main objective for this derby.

PAOK

Form: LDLWL

The current champions of Greece are already seven points behind first-placed Olympiakos. It will be difficult to defend the title this year, as this team seems to lack freshness. They are currently in 4th place in the table with 33 points. In the last 5 derbies, they were defeated 3 times by Aris. Volos made a big surprise by defeating PAOK 2-1 in Thessaloniki in the last round of the Greek Championship. With an incredible turnaround, Volos achieved their first victory in history against the Thessaloniki club with two goals in stoppage time. PAOK took the lead in the 69th minute with a goal by Mady Camara after a corner kick. But Volos achieved a great victory in stoppage time. In that match PAOK lost their experienced central defender Lovren. Last week on training their best attacker Andrija Zivkovic injured his knee and will have to take a break at least until the middle of next month. The PAOK star experienced bad luck during the team's training, when he hit his knee and left the center urgently. He went straight to the tests, which showed that he avoided the worst, because the cruciate ligaments were not damaged. He has a large swelling on his knee, and the period of his absence is estimated at four to six weeks and it’s a huge blow for PAOK as they will play in the Europa League next week.

Expert Betting Tips

Aris are more successful in their last five encounters, winning three times while PAOK have only one win. In this match I expect something different, it’s important for both teams to remain undefeated, and I think that this match will end in a draw. However, I think that both teams will manage to score a goal each since they both are having issues with defensive lines. It will certainly be a very difficult and tense derby in Thessaloniki.