Gunning for Europe
Paokfc.gr’s Rival Analysis column puts the magnifying glass on this weekend’s opponents Xanthi, giving you the lowdown on everything you need to know about the Akrites ahead of our Super League Matchday 13 contest at the Toumba.
Last season almost turned into a nightmare for Xanthi. In the run-in to the end of the campaign, the Akrites found themselves battling to maintain their top flight status, which they managed to safeguard and extend their proud record for anther season.
In the summer, it was a given that changes had to be made. Not just changes to improve the squad, but also to enhance the team’s style of play in order to bring the fans back to the stadium.
The club’s management decided to hand this task to Kiko Ramiez. The Iberian coach rebuilt the squad over the summer, with 13 new players coming in and 14 departing.
And Xanthi got off to a magical start. So good, in fact, that it was the greatest start to the season in the club’s history, with six wins and just one defeat in their first seven Super League matches. After that, however, come somewhat of a black out. In the next five games, Xanthi picked up just one point which came in a draw against Olympiacos at Pigadia. And, unfortunately, the blame was laid squarely at the door of Ramirez who parted ways with the club.
With Giorgos Koltsis as interim coach, the Thrace club defeated Atromitos 1-0 at home, and also qualified to the Round of 16 in the Greek Cup, defeating Apollon Larissa 3-0, and so arrives at the Toumba looking to continue its positive run of results and remain in the hunt for a place in the Play Offs.
Currently Xanthi are fourth in the table, with 19 points, and they are aiming for a top-six finish which would put them in with a chance of returning to European competition.
The Akrites’ top scorer is Eduardo with three goals, while Fabian Sturgeon is the club’s top «creator» with three assists. In general, matches between PAOK and Xanthi are tightly-contested affairs where defense is on top. Some statistics which sum up the club from Thrace is that they have scored 12 goals in 12 games which means they have the third worst attack in the league, but they have also conceded just 13, which means they have the third best defensive record behind Olympiacos and PAOK.
