Aris Thessaloniki — AEK Athens: 88:58, Basket League

Aris Thessaloniki saw AEK Athens out 88:58 in the Basketball League on October 10th, a result that shifted the balance in the table between two sides already separated by just two points.

The victory keeps Aris in fifth place with fourteen wins from twenty-four games, while AEK remain fourth despite the loss bringing their tally to sixteen victories and eight defeats.

Aris came into this fixture showing mixed form: a 93:80 win over San Pablo Burgos, then a 68:74 defeat to As Karditsa, before that 87:74 success against Le Mans. They had also lost 99:102 to AEK back in May, though they had taken the reverse fixture 90:81.

AEK's recent run offered little comfort — a 95:93 win over Salon Vilpas Vikings, then a comfortable 91:70 against Maroussi BK. The Greek side had been outclassed by Olympiacos Piraeus twice in May, losing 68:95 and 77:94, and fell 80:93 in their last league outing.

And here's the thing, we had backed the hosts at 53 per cent confidence. The margin of thirty points suggests the prediction was not just correct but vindicated.

What this means in the table is a narrowing of the gap between fourth and fifth, with AEK now needing to respond after a result that exposes defensive vulnerabilities against a side that camped in the final third and hit them on the break.