AEK Athens must beat Aris on Saturday, September 5, in Nea Filadelfeia, pundit Kostas Ketsetzoglou said on The Football Show by Stoiximan on protothema.gr, calling it an important test just days before the club's Champions League League Phase opener.
Ketsetzoglou said AEK has an obligation to win the match against Aris, adding that coach Marko Nikolic is largely expected to stick with the starting eleven that played against Kifisia.
Likely lineup changes
According to Ketsetzoglou, the most likely scenario in midfield is that the pairing of Vitalis and Marin will start again, while no changes are expected in defense. In attack, he said Koita appears to have the edge for a starting spot, with Mayer positioned on the right side and Jovic and Vargas competing for the remaining attacking role.
Ketsetzoglou described the game against Aris as particularly demanding, coming just before AEK's first European fixture in the League Phase of the Champions League, a Tuesday match away to Austrian side LASK. The Champions League League Phase is the newly formatted group stage in which clubs play a set number of matches against different opponents rather than in traditional four-team groups.
Managing a heavier schedule
Ketsetzoglou said the coming weeks would show how AEK responds to the demands placed on it by competing on multiple fronts, pointing to the challenge of managing the squad through a season with a heavier number of fixtures than usual.
Fellow pundit Akis Zikos also weighed in on the new midfield pairing of Vitalis and Marin, saying the two players have shown they can contribute to the team and that there is clear on-field chemistry between them.
AEK Athens is one of Greece's most successful clubs, based in the Nea Filadelfeia area of Athens. Aris, based in Thessaloniki, is one of the country's oldest football clubs. AEK's Champions League League Phase campaign begins with the away trip to LASK, an Austrian Bundesliga club based in Linz.
