This year’s pre-season was different in Tripoli. Compared to last summer and the multiple changes to the squad and the coaching leadership, this year has not seen many changes. It makes sense, if one imagines that in the 2019-20 season, the team managed to reverse the negative mood after a bad start, and finished in seventh place. In other words, they were the ‘best of the rest’.

The recipe proved successful. Milan Rastavac arrived in December 2019 and managed to achieve the first goals he set. The team oved away from the bottom of the standings and even joined the battle for the European places at one point, which was essentially lost by just four points. The administration decided not to tinker much in the summer given that situation.

Arrivals and departures were minimal, and the gaps left by the departures of Matricardi, Duvica, Fernandes, Martinez, Deletic and Juaregi were filled by Alvarez, Tilica, Orosco, Castano, Garcia and Gomez. Of course, as can be seen from the names, Asteras have once again insisted on a strong Latin element, something that has characterized the club for many years.

The newcomers join a squad with a healthy spine in Papadopoulos, Kotsiras, Tasoulis, Riera, Pasalidis, Suarez, Valiente, and Barrales, as well as veteran duo Munafo and Iglesias, but also a couple of young and talented players in Ali Baba and Antzoulas.

The Arcadians started the season impressively, picking up 10 points from their first five games, but they have only chalked up two points from their last four matches. In total, they have 12 points from nine games, with nine goals scored and 10 conceded. They are a team that relies heavily on Geronimo Barrales, the team’s top scorer with six goals so far, and his absence from the match at the Toumba will force Rastavac to try to come up with a bit of alchemy to find a way to make up for his absence, since he does not have another striker with similar characteristics.

Asteras will also be without Munafo, and Luis Fernandez, both of whom are suffering from injury problems.