Almeida shuffles the cards with “Regulator” Gacinovic

AEK meets PAS Ioannina in Rizoupoli (04/09, 21:30, COSMOTE SPORT1HD, LIVE Sportish), in a game of particular significance for the Yellow-Black organization as it will be the last game they will play away from their home in New Philadelphia. And ideally, for many reasons, the Union would like to go home with a win in addition to pure points.

Matias Almeida will have all the weapons in his quiver as the only ones missing are Macheiras and Franson, who weren’t in the Argentine coach’s (and) original plans for this clash anyway.

The game with PAS Ioannina for the Union stands not only in the “constellation” of entering the OPAP arena in the game with Ionikos, but also with transfer reinforcement. The Yellow-Blacks are expected to proceed with the acquisition of a striker after the game with PAS while they are in advanced negotiations with Djibril Sidibe. On the contrary, Trabzonspor presented a proposal of seven million euros, to which the Union reacted negatively.

In the purely competitive part, Almeida is expected to make at least three changes related to the game with Volos, but no system change. The Argentina coach is looking to ‘shuffle’ the cards to take the three points and Mijat Gacinovic will play his part in that.

The Union’s last transfer acquisition, Niklas Eliasson, was also included in the mission. In fact, the Sweden midfielder is expected to get playing time. Against them she finds a weak side who will be missing the terribly unlucky Pedro Conte, main goalkeeper Jerome Prior and Alexandros Lolis.

Almeida’s thoughts on the starting XI

Matias Almeida is expected to feature in the next XI for Union. Cican Stankovic will sit under the goalposts for one more game. Vida, Xavellas and Mukudi form the defensive trio. The Croatian will be a left stopper, the Frenchman will play on the right side of the trio, making his debut for the team and the Greek international in the centre.

The “Cutter” in front of them will be Damian Szymanski and in front of him Orbelin Pineda and Jens Jonsson. The left-back will be Zuber and the right-back Gacinovic, who is planned for this position at least in the first phase.

Sergio Araujo will lead the attack with Levi Garcia at his side. Regarding the game against Volos, Hadjisafi, Amrabad and Mandalos are absent. The latter is left out, on the one hand because Almeida tested the Araujo-Livay duo enough, on the other hand because he has the “creators” Pineda and Gacinovic.

Eliasson will most likely come on. Almeida has tested him on both wings but he is most likely to play on the right wing. Of course, if a starter is used, Gacinovic will move to the axis and it will be a domino of changes.

The team of AEK for the match against PAS Ioannina: Stankovic, Athanasiadis, Mukudi, Mohammadi, Rota, Vida, Mitoglou, Hadjisafi, Tzavellas, Simanski, Jonsson, Gatsinovic, Pineda, Mandalos, Moustakopoulos, Amrabat, Garcia, Zuber, Araujo, Eliasson.