Panathinaikos vs Aris prediction, head-to-head and probable lineups - 14 January 2026
One of the Greek Cup quarter-final clashes will take place on Wednesday at the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium in Athens, where the local side Panathinaikos will host Aris from Thessaloniki. I’m backing a bet on goals in this encounter, as the odds look promising for a high-scoring affair.
Match preview
Panathinaikos have shown extreme inconsistency this season. This was especially evident at the start of the campaign, which led to the sacking of Portuguese manager Rui Vitória. The team was then temporarily managed by local specialist Christos Kontis for a month, before renowned Spanish coach Rafael Benítez took charge. Benítez, as a reminder, previously managed clubs such as Real Madrid, Napoli, Chelsea, Inter, Everton, Liverpool, Valencia, and many others.
Heading into this match, Panathinaikos are coming off a confident 3-0 victory over Panserraikos in the Greek Super League. The hero of that encounter was Moroccan international Anass Zaroury, who scored one and assisted another. In the main round of the Greek Cup, Panathinaikos faced four opponents and overcame all of them without major issues: first beating Kallithea (1-0), then Atromitos (2-1), followed by a narrow win over Kifisia (1-0), and finally Kavala (2-1). These results secured Rafael Benítez’s side fourth place and a guaranteed spot in the quarter-finals.
Aris, on the other hand, are in decent form. Over their last seven matches, they suffered just one defeat—in the Super League against PAOK (1-3)—while drawing or winning the rest. In the previous round, Aris drew 1-1 with AEK, one of Greece’s football giants, and could have even snatched victory: in the second half, the referee disallowed a goal by the Thessaloniki club’s winger, Dudu.
In the main stage of the Greek Cup, Spanish coach Manolo Jiménez’s team also performed solidly, recording three wins and a draw—against PAOK (1-1). However, this wasn’t enough for direct qualification to the quarter-finals, so Aris had to play an additional playoff match, which they won to secure their place in the last eight.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Over 2 goals have been scored in three of Panathinaikos’s last four matches.
- Aris are unbeaten in their last four games.
- Five of Aris’s last six matches have featured under 3 goals.
- In the last ten head-to-head meetings, Panathinaikos have the edge with four wins, while Aris have claimed three victories and three matches have ended in draws.
- The most recent encounter between these sides finished 1-1.
- They have met twice in the Greek Cup. Notably, in the 2024 final, Panathinaikos emerged victorious, scoring the decisive goal in stoppage time.
Probable lineups
- Panathinaikos: Kotsaris - Kotsiras, Ingason, Fikaj, Mladenović - Vilhena, Nikas, Bregou - Mancini, Taborda, Świderski
- Aris: Athanasiadis - Tejero, Fadiga, Rose, Leismann - Pérez, Račić, Monchu, Misehouy - Panagidis, Morón
Prediction
I believe Panathinaikos should come out on top. They’ve navigated this tournament confidently, racking up win after win, so I expect them to take the victory here as well. My prediction is a win for Panathinaikos.
