Instead of his usual 3-5-2, the Croatian coach opted for a 4-3-3 formation with Nikos Korovesis as left back and Garry Rodrigues made his –unofficial- debut for the “Double-Headed Eagle” as right winger.

Giorgos Georgiadis’s Veria fielded their best line-up, because the PAOK friendly served as rehearsal ahead of the Super League kick-off.

After an uneventful start, Veria took the lead in the 23rd minute. Following a corner, Nazlidis beat Robin Olsen to the ball and scored with a header. Afterwards PAOK took control of proceedings and tried to break through Veria’s defensive wall through Rodrigues, but couldn’t level in the first half.

After the interval, PAOK fielded a different line-up with Stelios Malezas and Jairo play their first match since coming to Thessaloniki. Having recovered from the injury he sustained during preseason training in the Netherlands Panagiotis Glykos defended PAOK’s goal. The new line-up improved considerably the team’s performance. Jairo hit the ground running and combined flawlessly with his teammates. After struggling with their finishing, the “Double-Headed Eagle” managed to equalise in the 73rd minute. Κyriakos Savvidis teed up Jairo and the Brazilian controlled with his chest and beat Kantimiris to level the encounter.

PAOK were better in the last stages of the encounter and came close to finish off the game. But they ended up losing in the dying minutes of the match, when Giorgi Merebashvili was given time and space in the box and made it 2-1 for Veria with a powerful shot.

PAOK line-up: Olsen (46’ Glykos), Konstantinidis (46’ Skondras), Costa (46’ Pougouras), Vítor (46’ Malezas), Korovesis (46’ Tzavellas), Kace (46’ Κ.Savvidis), Tziolis (46’ Maduro), Pelkas (46’ Deligiannidis), Mak (46’ Mystakidis), Rodrigues (46’ Jairo), Koulouris (46’ Salpingidis)