AEK Athens Favored Against OFI in Greek Cup Clash

ATHENS, Greece (Interstat) — AEK Athens will look to continue its recent dominance over OFI when the Greek Cup rivals meet at OPAP Arena on Wednesday.

The Round of 16 fixture pits a title-contending AEK side against an OFI team riding high after a weekend offensive explosion.

AEK Athens (10-2-3) enters as the clear favorite, having won all three meetings with OFI this season. The most recent was a 2-1 Super League victory on Dec. 21. Overall, AEK has outscored OFI 5-1 across those three matches. The club is unbeaten in its last seven domestic contests across all competitions, though it comes off a 1-1 draw with Aris Thessaloniki on Sunday.

OFI (7-8-0), based in Heraklion, presents a contrasting recent form. It was thrashed 4-0 by Asteras Tripolis in early November but has since exacted dramatic revenge, beating the same opponent 4-0 on Sunday and 2-0 last Wednesday. That surge suggests a dangerous, momentum-driven side capable of upsetting the odds, despite its struggles against AEK.

The statistical projection service Interstat simulates a 2-0 victory for the hosts, a scoreline that has occurred twice already this season between the teams.

The match is a quick turnaround for both clubs, who face challenging Super League schedules this weekend. AEK will host PAOK on Sunday, while OFI travels to face the same PAOK side.

AEK manager Matías Almeyda is expected to field a strong lineup as the club seeks a deep cup run. Key for the hosts will be containing OFI’s newfound confidence in front of goal, while exploiting a head-to-head advantage that has been decisive this campaign.

For OFI manager Nikos Nentidis, the task is to translate its rampant form against other opponents into a breakthrough performance against its recent nemesis. Solving AEK’s defense, which has kept clean sheets in two of their three encounters, is the primary obstacle.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) at AEK Athens’s home ground in the Nea Filadelfeia suburb. The winner will advance to the quarterfinal stage of Greece’s premier knockout competition.