Maintaining the 4-2-3-1 with AEK and developing it thanks to Bernard

Last Saturday’s game (3/9) against Levadeiakos in Leoforos (1-0) was the first time since the beginning of this season that Ivan Jovanovic played a clean 4-2-3-1 against Panathinaikos. Not only because Ruben Perez was unwell a few 24 hours before the game and he didn’t want to risk his 90-minute presence, but also because the specific determination will form the basis of the next day’s ‘cloverleaf’.

And because of the gradual integration of Bernard Duarte into the team’s schedule and because of the more and very high quality options that the Serbian technician now has in his midfield.

Even if Ruben were 100% on standby, the 60-year-old technician would go into the game in a 4-2-3-1 position, Dimitris Kourbelis stayed on the bench and then came on as a substitute . The regulations and systems are of course something relevant in Panathinaikos under Jovanovic.

And undoubtedly, one of the most important competitive “legacies” of the Serbian’s first season in the clover is the fact that his team has now learned to adapt and “enter” the field very firmly, even if they have to change the formation of the game as time goes on 4-3-3, 4-4-2 or even in trio as long as a third stopper has to come to protect a result…

To use all her gifts

What is required now for Jovanovic is the development and balance of the team’s game on the 4-2-3-1 due to the presence of Bernard so that Panathinaikos can gradually take advantage of all the gifts and options that the (increased quality) offers ) trio behind Andraz Sporar.

In the game against Levadeiakos, in the absence of the Brazilian – who will “enter” the Greens’ plan step-by-step – the equalizer ensured equalization from the brilliant and astute Aitor, who essentially played as a free agent behind the Slovenian forward, who took his fully understands the specific role, which is why he takes credit for his coach after the game.

“Besides the talent he possesses and the competitiveness that characterizes him, tactically he’s an extremely trained player and has tremendous tactical thinking depending on what he’s playing.

He easily understands and understands his roles and the positions he plays either left-right or center. I had no doubts about his image as he has a confidence that he has developed more than last season.” was the Panathinaikos coach’s praise for the 26-year-old Spanish midfielder, who has already started the Super League season with one goal and two assists.

He will keep it in the game against AEK

And Jovanovic wants to keep him at Apostolos Nikolaidis in the upcoming first “big” game of the season against AEK next Sunday (9 November, 9:30 p.m., COSMOTE SPORT1HD, LIVE Sportish). And because he wants his team to “rub” more on the concrete arrangement given the “entry” of Bernard, but also because he expects that – unlike the game against PAS Giannina – this time Almeida will restore the trio the defense the yellow-black.

And that means the extra player will need even more this time to play closer to Sporar and seek close partnerships in the attacking third with the Slovenian (so Sporar doesn’t get “sandwiched” between the three stoppers), but and with Sebastian Palacios- Benjamin Verbitz, who are constantly converging inward anyway to ‘fill’ the area with more options but also leaving room for the upswings of the full-backs.

It goes without saying that this match against AEK in particular will be very tactical chess, and that is also the reason why Jovanovic has been working extra on his team’s circulation since the beginning of the week, in between a lot of “tight” defensive lines, but also in his team’s pressing, allowing Panathinaikos to ramp up the pressure in the field, which…was his trademark in the second half of last season.