Pregame
Kick Off
Half Time
Goals
Penalty
Substitution
Corners
Offside
Opportunity
Barshot
Comment
Yellow Card
Second Yellow Card
Red card
Missed Penalty
Time to be proud
If the supreme joy lies in the difficulty of the undertaking, PAOK has 1926 and more reasons to be proud of the conquest of the most demanding, exciting and «magical» league title win. 1, 2….4! PAOK are deservedly crowned champions of Greece for the 2023-24 season. With a 2-1 away win against Aris, playing also with ten players for 15 minutes. Match ball. Match Point. This year’s journey of exhaustingly conflicting emotions is the most jubilant and impressive in the club’s history. The most magnificent. Until next time…
PAOK masterfully played all their pieces on the chess board, right to the last moment. Attimes they fell and rose up again, bled and healed, defied difficulties that at times seemed insurmountable. Difficulties at a squad level, as well as management, competitiveness, mental and psychological difficulties, trying to keep the balance right on many fronts. Razvan Lucescu (perhaps producing the masterpiece of his coaching career), his team, his players, after non-stop and continuous matches, have every right to be drunk on an achievement that will be coveted for years. This is the fourth championship in the team’s history, and this is a season during which PAOK also reached the last eight of the UEFA Europa Conference League, this is a May of happiness.
The Double-headed Eagle finished first in the regular season, with 60 points from 26 matches, with the best attack (66 goals) and the best defense (21 goals). They collected the most points in the Play Offs (20 points from 10 games), recorded the most productive attack, even scoring from all areas (87 the total final number of goals), maintained the best defence (34 goals), and the best goal difference.
The stakes could not have been higher for a Thessaloniki derby match on Sunday. PAOK though remained focused, mentally strong, defied everything they had to do and did everything they were called upon to do. Amind a contrast of emotions literally on opposite ends of the scale.
The first 25 minutes passed with widespread nervousness and possession shared equally, obviously though also with some intense duels, in one of which, before the first minute was even completed, Michailidis received a yellow card. In the 30th minute, however, from a ball that became contested in the central midfield area, Andrija Živkovic stole possession, sent a through-ball to Brandon and the forward put it past Cuesta to make it 1-0 to the visitors. In the 36th minute, Michailidis received a blow in the penalty area, but the referee waved play on, then in the 41st minute, Kotarski reacted well to Saverio’s shot. Then, somewhere in stoppage time at the end of the first half, Suleimanov almost scored from close range.
Aris started the second half with increased intensity and in the 47th minute Moron’s volley levelled matters. At the half-time break, PAOK were in the position of champions, then in the 48th minute suddenly they were not. But, in the 62nd minute they regained the lead. Konstantelias feinted left, then passed to Brandon , who released the onrushing Taison. Without hesitation the Brazilian put the ball in the back of the net. Goal! The visitors again moved on to 80 points! In the 65th minute, Lucescu brought on Samatta in place of Brandon and Despodov in place of Taison. Despodov could have scored a third goal for PAOK in the 67th minute when he was unable to control Zivkovic’s dangerous cross from a good position. Then, afterwards PAOK struggled to keep the ball, but Kotarski was reacting well when he was needed. However, unfortunately Michailidis was penalized with a second yellow card in the 78th minute, leaving the team to continue with ten players. There was immediate movement from the bench, with Nasberg replacing Konstantelias . How many more minutes? Five minutes of added time! Ten players on the pitch in black and white jerseys. Eleven with yellows. Then came the final whistle! PAOK are the champions of Greece.
The celebrations kicked off around the Toumba area, at the White Tower, in the center of Thessaloniki, and everywhere, where this well-deserved conquest was recognized!
Team lineups:
Aris: Cuesta, Odubajo, Montoya (Ferrari 85′), Brabec, Fabiano, Joules Jean (Ansarifard 85′), Darida, Suleymanov (Fetfatzidis 85′), Verstraete (Garcia 65′), Saverio (Zamora 71′), Moron.
PAOK: Kotarski, Sastre, Kedziora, Michailidis, Baba, Schwab, Meite, Konstantelias (Nasberg 80′), Taison (Despodov 64′), A.Zivkovic, Brandon (Samatta 64′).
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