The stakes are sky-high for Panathinaikos as they travel to face their archenemy, Olympiacos, at their fortress in front of no crowd, desperately needing a victory to boost their premiership chances in one of the most competitive seasons in years.

The Piraeus giants host the derby of the “eternal enemies” at “Karaiskakis” Stadium on Monday morning in the ninth and penultimate round of the Greek Super League play-offs, and the “red-whites” have the ultimate opportunity to destroy their rivals’ spirits.

A win for Olympiacos would be devastating to the Greens’ title push while also greatly improving their chances of a third-place finish, meaning there is plenty to gain from this game for the hosts.

Panathinaikos can take some comfort in knowing the ground will not be as intimidating a proposition, given that there will be no crowd due to the pitch invasion of Olympiacos’ supporters after their 1-3 loss to AEK on April 24.

The pressure is still intense for the “Trifylli” as there is no room for error with the championship still firmly in the balance heading into the last two rounds.

AEK makes the trip to “Kleanthis Vikelidis” as they prepare for a confident Aris outfit that could prove a difficult opponent for the aspiring premiers.

Enosi comes into this clash still locked in first and so cannot afford to slip up as they too battle for the championship.

The Thessaloniki side has little to play for now, having attained their goal of securing fifth position, though this also could make them more dangerous as they have complete freedom of mind in knowing there is nothing to lose.

PAOK takes on Volos away in a must-win contest to maintain their ambitions of a third-place finish.

The Double-headed eagle of the North is three points behind Olympiacos, meaning that they must win if they wish to leap ahead of them by the end of the season.

PAOK will also be eager to build up their general confidence ahead of their Cup final with AEK which remains their final chance of obtaining silverware.

Volos will be aiming for a strong finish to their disappointing play-offs campaign after earning just one point thus far.

Lamia faces Levadiakos in an epic relegation battle between 12th and 14th at “Athanasios Diakos” ground on Sunday morning to headline the sixth (and penultimate) round of the play-outs.

Both teams are desperate for a success which could have major ramifications on their survival odds.

A win for the Fthiotida outfit would guarantee they avoid direct relegation and would greatly advance their odds of staying out of the relegation places altogether.

For Levadiakos, a triumph would bring them level with their opponents and ensure their destiny is still in their own hands heading into the last matchday this term.

Ionikos, the club sandwiched between them in 13th, travels to play OFI in what looms as an ominous assignment.

The Nikaia side finds itself one point in front of Levadiakos and two in front of Lamia, meaning that victory is just as valuable and essential for them.

It promises to be an incredibly challenging task, however, as the Cretans are currently the highest-ranked team of the relegation group, and they will be keen to remain in top spot.

Giannina challenges Asteras Tripolis at home with both teams looking to officially secure their stay in the first division for next season.

Panetolikos, likewise, is seeking the same goal in their away contest with Atromitos as they currently sit level on 30 points with the Epirus club and the Arcadians, five ahead of second-last Ionikos.

Play-offs Rd 9 fixtures (AEST)

Aris-AEK: 03.00, Mon 08 May

Olympiacos-Panathinaikos: 03.00, Mon 08 May

Volos-PAOK: 03.00, Mon 08 May

Play-outs Rd 6 fixtures (AEST)

Atromitos-Panetolikos: 03.00, Sun 07 May

Giannina-Asteras Tripolis: 03.00, Sun 07 May

Lamia-Levadiakos: 03.00, Sun 07 May

OFI-Ionikos: 03.00, Sun 07 May