While it's easy to get lost in the details the big picture is clear.
Panathinaikos holds their destiny reins in their own hands. As long as they take care of their own business, it matters not what the other superleague teams do, or what their professional agitators say in the media.
I wrote last week about the remaining games, and today I'll try to elaborate with what's expected for each game in order to win this title.
Pao - Atromitos
Pao - Levadiakos
Doxa - Pao
Levadiakos - Pao
Pao - Xanthi
Ergotelis - Pao
Out of this group of games, we can realistically expect 18 points. Neither one of these teams is can be considered a serious threat to Panathinaikos, even if some are in better form than others.
A determined Panathinaikos has the solutions to beat any of these teams 90% of the time. The other 10% is held for the weird conditions that can derail the most diligent of plans (injuries, iced terrain, red cards, etc.)
If we lose points in any of the above games, it's not the end of the world because we can make it up in the next group of games
Pao - Paok
AEK - Pao
Pao - Olympiakos
From this group of games, we can reasonably expect that Panathiaikos can get at least 5 points (two wins and one tie). If they win all three it would be super, but experience says that these three opponents are the most capable of winning or drawing against Panathinaikos.
If we lose any points in the games leading up to the biggest game of the season, Panathinaikos - Olympiakos, then we absolutely must win that game.
This of course assumes that Olympiakos wins every single game up to that contest, something that's unreasonable to expect, especially since they have been in horrible form all season long and they play games for the Cup and the Europa Cup. Panathinaikos doesn't have this burden any longer and they can comfortably concentrate on playing just one game per week, beginning next week.
If both PAO and Olympiakos win all their games until they play each other, Panathinaikos will be two points ahead in the league table. My own prediction is that Olympiakos will lose some points (just as I believe Panathinaiikos will too).
After that group of tough games, home stretch looks much smoother, and we can reasonably expect to win every single one of them to win the title:
Ofi - Pao
Pao - Aris
Pao - Panionios
Asteras - Pao
Pao - Panaitolikos
Winning the title in such season would be huge for the club. It will stop the slippery slope they have found themselves caused by the shareholder and fan antics (each only thinking of themselves, even if they pretent to do everything for their love for the club), by some disastrous court decisions (Votanikos stadium) aided by unscrupulous demagogues (Tsipras), and by the economic downturn.
It will be good for the morale of the fans, but also for the club's bank account, because the championship in Greece pays off with automatic inclusion in the Champions League Groups, that yield at least 15 million Euro. This can be the difference between selling or buying players in the summer, and it can send the opposition into their own spiral downturn.
The best case scenario for this season is:
Take care of business against the smaller teams
Beat Olympiakos at OAKA
Win the title
Send Olympiakos into economic woes without the certainty of Champions League bonuses
Force Olympiakos to sell players instead of buying
Force Olympiakos into an early summer schedule of qualifiers (the one that has plagued PAO for years)
Fortify Panathinaikos with at least three good players over the summer
Go into the next season with style and cofidence
This is not a science fiction scenario. Panathinaikos coach and players have worked hard to bring the team on top with half the season (and more) over, and there is no reason not to think that we win this title and reap the benefits.
Panathinaikos holds their destiny reins in their own hands. As long as they take care of their own business, it matters not what the other superleague teams do, or what their professional agitators say in the media.
I wrote last week about the remaining games, and today I'll try to elaborate with what's expected for each game in order to win this title.
Pao - Atromitos
Pao - Levadiakos
Doxa - Pao
Levadiakos - Pao
Pao - Xanthi
Ergotelis - Pao
Out of this group of games, we can realistically expect 18 points. Neither one of these teams is can be considered a serious threat to Panathinaikos, even if some are in better form than others.
A determined Panathinaikos has the solutions to beat any of these teams 90% of the time. The other 10% is held for the weird conditions that can derail the most diligent of plans (injuries, iced terrain, red cards, etc.)
If we lose points in any of the above games, it's not the end of the world because we can make it up in the next group of games
Pao - Paok
AEK - Pao
Pao - Olympiakos
From this group of games, we can reasonably expect that Panathiaikos can get at least 5 points (two wins and one tie). If they win all three it would be super, but experience says that these three opponents are the most capable of winning or drawing against Panathinaikos.
If we lose any points in the games leading up to the biggest game of the season, Panathinaikos - Olympiakos, then we absolutely must win that game.
This of course assumes that Olympiakos wins every single game up to that contest, something that's unreasonable to expect, especially since they have been in horrible form all season long and they play games for the Cup and the Europa Cup. Panathinaikos doesn't have this burden any longer and they can comfortably concentrate on playing just one game per week, beginning next week.
If both PAO and Olympiakos win all their games until they play each other, Panathinaikos will be two points ahead in the league table. My own prediction is that Olympiakos will lose some points (just as I believe Panathinaiikos will too).
After that group of tough games, home stretch looks much smoother, and we can reasonably expect to win every single one of them to win the title:
Ofi - Pao
Pao - Aris
Pao - Panionios
Asteras - Pao
Pao - Panaitolikos
Winning the title in such season would be huge for the club. It will stop the slippery slope they have found themselves caused by the shareholder and fan antics (each only thinking of themselves, even if they pretent to do everything for their love for the club), by some disastrous court decisions (Votanikos stadium) aided by unscrupulous demagogues (Tsipras), and by the economic downturn.
It will be good for the morale of the fans, but also for the club's bank account, because the championship in Greece pays off with automatic inclusion in the Champions League Groups, that yield at least 15 million Euro. This can be the difference between selling or buying players in the summer, and it can send the opposition into their own spiral downturn.
The best case scenario for this season is:
Take care of business against the smaller teams
Beat Olympiakos at OAKA
Win the title
Send Olympiakos into economic woes without the certainty of Champions League bonuses
Force Olympiakos to sell players instead of buying
Force Olympiakos into an early summer schedule of qualifiers (the one that has plagued PAO for years)
Fortify Panathinaikos with at least three good players over the summer
Go into the next season with style and cofidence
This is not a science fiction scenario. Panathinaikos coach and players have worked hard to bring the team on top with half the season (and more) over, and there is no reason not to think that we win this title and reap the benefits.
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