Football Bet of the Day: Pana gotta win tonight

Kevin Hatchard
13 January 2019

We're in with the Panathinaikos fans tonight

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Kev's guaranteed to make a profit this week, but he hopes to move further into the black with a winner in Greece.

"Panathinaikos have won six of their last seven home matches in the league, while Xanthi have taken just a point from their last five top-flight fixtures."

Back Panathinaikos -1.0 on the Asian Handicap at 2.0521/20

Panathinaikos v Xanthi
Sunday January 13, 17:00

French frustration for us last night, as St Etienne scored in the sixth minute (Sunderland alumnus Wahbi Khazri found the net), only for Guingamp to let us down in our BTTS bet.

A fine week threatens to end on a sour note, but we aim to finish with a flourish in Greece, as Panathinaikos take on Xanthi in the Greek Super League.

It's been hard to be a Panathinaikos fan in recent years. Bitter rivals Olympiakos (their derbies are known as the derbies of the eternal enemies) have dominated Greek football recently, and even when they slipped up last season, it was crosstown rivals AEK Athens who took advantage. Financial problems and boardroom unrest have contributed to the club's decline, and their appearance in the 2002 Champions League quarter-finals seems like a lifetime ago.

Pana finished 11th last term, but things have been better this season. Coach Giorgios Donis, who once flew down the flanks at Ewood Park for Blackburn Rovers, has led the team to fifth, and they have lost just twice in 14 GSL games. Their recent home form in the top flight is excellent, with six wins taken from the last seven matches.

Xanthi are a respectable ninth, but have hit a really rough patch. They have taken just a point from their last five games, and have scored just one goal in that spell. On the road, they have lost their last three games 2-0, 2-0 and 1-0.

Pana are playing well at home, while Xanthi are in a tailspin. I'll back the hosts -1.0 on the Asian Handicap at 2.0521/20.