Recap
Asteras Tripolis have endured a disastrous start to the season, suffering three consecutive defeats in the league before being held to a draw by Aris in the Cup just three days ago. Their difficult situation is compounded by several important absences, with first goalkeeper Papadopoulos (2/0), Riera (1/0), Deligiannidis and Sylla all unavailable.
They now face a particularly difficult challenge against reigning champions AEK, who have enjoyed an excellent start to the campaign. AEK secured their place in the Champions League phase and followed that achievement with a victory over LASK in their opening European fixture. Domestically, they have also made a strong start, recording a 2-1-0 league record.
With Asteras struggling for both results and squad availability, AEK appear to have a clear advantage in terms of quality, momentum and confidence. The visitors also have an outstanding recent record in this fixture, having won the last seven consecutive h2h meetings.