Kilkis secured a narrow victory over Athenaikos on Saturday, winning 32:28 in the opening round of the A1 league. The match took place on 26 September 2026 at the home venue, and the result kept both sides level on points in the early standings.
We had called for the hosts to take the win, putting our confidence at 52 per cent, and the game played out as expected. Kilkis made the most of their patchwork squad, holding their own against a visitor that had struggled on the road in previous seasons.
The first half saw both sides trade blows, with neither able to build much of a cushion. By then, the score hovered around 15-14, and the pattern was clear — tight defending, quick transitions, and chances coming at both ends. Kilkis started to stretch the game a little more in the second period, but Athenaikos refused to let it flow into something one-sided.
What mattered most was the final twenty minutes. Kilkis dug in when it counted, picking up momentum through a series of quick attacks. Athenaikos had their moments, but they paid for a sloppy opening in the final quarter, and the hosts ground out the win.
Both teams remain on zero points after one game, the table still saying nothing yet. What this result does is give Kilkis a slight edge in confidence, while Athenaikos will look at how they can tighten up before the next fixture.
