PAOK will be looking to win their first derby of the season, continuing their incredible streak at the end of last season that delivered them the championship. Written by Savvas Tziobanoglou.
Returning to action presents a major challenge for champions. In the first derby of the year, Panathinaikos form the opposition as Razvan Lucescu’s side aim for a 4th consecutive victory in the Stoiximan Super League this year.
PAOK’s coach may have passed on a “game by game” philosophy to the entire black and white set-up, but the truth is that victory in the green derby is crucial for the Thessaloniki side.
Because despite the changes in the roster, it will show that the character of this team that won the last championship with four derby victories that cannot be repeated remains unchanged.
Lucescu’s legacy and message
Against Panathinaikos, the team that Lucescu has beaten most times as a coach in Greece, PAOK will try to add another win to their derby streak. This will send a message to all other contenders for the championship that they need to overextend themselves if they want to take the sceptre.
Victory in Sunday’s derby would be further proof that Tkefalos has overcome the weakness he has shown so many times in the past. A weakness, not so evident last season, however, has always created question marks and reservations about how he will perform after the international windows.
Indeed, PAOK will have many advantages with a win over Panathinaikos. First, it will be top of the league. Second, it leaves the Greens at -8, a huge blow to one of their immediate rivals. Third, he would develop even more self-reliance, an element that Roman technocrats considered essential to keeping his scepter within bounds.
Everyone at Toomba knows that to win the first derby of the season they will need to be absolutely disciplined in their plan, focus throughout the 90 minutes and fight for balls one on one. After all, this is Lucescu’s philosophy, which he was careful to remind players of in one of his recent speeches, characteristically saying, “Every game is a battle.”
