The Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium is set to host an intriguing Athens matchup today, Sunday, February 1, 2026, as Panathinaikos welcomes Kifisia for Matchday 19 of the Stoiximan Super League. Kick-off is scheduled for 15:30 local time (13:30 GMT).
Panathinaikos (5th, 26 points) enters this fixture needing a domestic spark following a string of draws across all competitions. Meanwhile, Kifisia (9th, 19 points) aims to pull off another upset against their illustrious neighbors, having already beaten them 3–2 earlier this season.
Match Information
| Feature | Details |
| Competition | Stoiximan Super League (Matchday 19) |
| Date | Sunday, February 1, 2026 |
| Kick-off | 13:30 GMT / 15:30 Local |
| Venue | Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium, Athens |
| Referee | Ioannis Papadopoulos |
| TV Channel | Cosmote Sport (GR) |
Panathinaikos: The Benítez Tightrope
Under the guidance of Rafael Benítez, the Greens have become incredibly difficult to beat, but they have struggled to turn draws into wins. They arrive fresh from a dramatic 1–1 draw against Roma in the Europa League on Thursday, where they conceded a late equalizer. In the league, they haven't won since early January and currently sit 18 points adrift of the top spot.
Team News and Selection:
Injury Crisis: The medical room is crowded. Cyriel Dessers (thigh), Davide Calabria (illness), Facundo Pellistri (knock), and Filip Djuricic are all unavailable.
Returning Quality: Anass Zaroury and Karol Świderski (the club's top scorer with 8 goals in all competitions) are expected to lead the attack.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Lafont; Vagiannidis, Jedvaj, Touba, Kyriakopoulos; Willian Arão, Gnezda Čerin, Bakasetas; Zaroury, Świderski, Tetê.
Kifisia: The Giant-Killers?
Managed by former Panathinaikos star Sebastián Leto, Kifisia has established itself as a resilient mid-table force. While they haven't won a league game in their last five attempts, their ability to frustrate the "Big Four" is well-documented—they recently held PAOK to a 0–0 draw and Olympiacos to a 1–1 stalemate.
Team News and Selection:
Absences: Left-back Yasser Larouci is sidelined with a hamstring injury, while Konstantinos Roukounakis is also out.
Familiar Faces: Keep an eye on Pavlos Pantelidis and Andrews Tetteh, who both completed moves from Kifisia to Panathinaikos last month but remain ineligible/key talking points for this fixture.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Xenopoulos; Masouras, Botia, Vafeas, Parras; Soloa, Peios; Santos, Pombo, Menendez; Ožegović.
? Head-to-Head (H2H) and Key Stats
Reverse Fixture: Kifisia shocked Panathinaikos with a 3–2 win in September 2025.
Recent Meeting: Panathinaikos gained slight revenge with a 1–0 win in the Greek Cup in December.
The Draw Trend: Panathinaikos has drawn 4 of their last 5 matches in all competitions.
Home Strength: Panathinaikos has not lost at home in the Super League since early November.
Tactical Analysis and Prediction
Benítez will likely set his side up to dominate possession, utilizing Anastasios Bakasetas to pick locks in Kifisia's deep defensive block. However, the absence of Dessers and Pellistri robs them of significant verticality. Leto's Kifisia will rely on the counter-attacking prowess of Jorge Pombo to exploit any fatigue in the Panathinaikos backline following their midweek European exertions.
While Panathinaikos is the heavy favorite, their recent inability to finish chances suggests this could be another long afternoon at the Leoforos.
Final Score Prediction: Panathinaikos 1–0 Kifisia
