Last season can be characterized as a roller coaster. Lamia started strongly, showed that it would be able to easily achieve their goal of staying up, but the downward turn in form in the second half of the regular season and the games in the Play Out saw them end up second-bottom in the standings – meaning they faced a final challenge against Veria to stay up. In the end, the Fthiotida club managed to preserve their top flight status and their main goal this time is to avoid last year’s drama and have a comfortable stay in the top flight.

Of course, everyone’s dream is to repeat last year’s crazy run to the semi-finals of the Greek Cup, but everyone has their sights set on the championship.

The first sample can be characterized as positive. Despite the fact that they lost 3-0 against AEK on Matcheday 1 at the «Athanassios Diakos» stadium, Lamia played well, which in fact helped them improve significantly in the following games against PAS Giannina and Asteras Tripolis, with Lamia earning 1-1 and 0-0 draws.

Confidence in Festa

Gianluca Festa was the man who led Lamia to the end of the season and earned his place for this season as well. Knowing the Greek football landscape after his terms at Larissa and Apollon Smyrnis, he is a coach who loves competitive discipline, and it is certain that he will create a hard and compact team which will battle in a determined mood every week.

Extreme makeover

In the summer, Festa lost some important players who were central to last season, such as Arabuli and Tyronne. Transfer activity has been brisk with 12 arrivals, players who will bring youthful enthusiasm and others who will provide much needed experience. In the first category belong Kornezos and Babis, who were acquired from AEK B, but also Tsiloulis and Slivkas, while on the other hand the experienced Vassilakakis, Benitez, Giakoumakis, De Vincenti, Goranov, Boaki and Marmentini have the know how to lead the team to their final goal.

The squad for the Toumba

Festa is without Christofer Nuniez, who is dealing with an injury problem. The Italian selected the following squad for the match:

Garavelis, Saranov, Provydakis, Saramantas, Adejo, Fandaris, Vranov, Benitez, Cornezo, Slivka, Simon, Vecharano, Papis, Fsiloulis, Askovski, Iakumakis, Manousos, De Vincenti, Marmentini and Boaki.