Qualification via penalties as Under-15s reach final
They were the best team on the pitch, dominated proceedings, monopolized the chances and even though they didn’t manage to score in regular time, PAOK’s Under-15 side qualified on penalties (2-1), beating Panathinaikos. Next Tuesday, on May 21st, they will face Olympiacos (qualified by beating Aris) to defend their league title.
PAOK’s young guns started impressively and in the first 20 minutes were dominant, registering at least four dangerous final attempts on goal. They threatened firstly in the third minute with Kalpakis’ header, in the fifth minute with Lazaridis’ shot, but also with a sustained attack in the 20th minute, with the Panathinaikos goalkeeper ending the phase by gathering possession. Then the «Greens» took control, recorded a good shot in the 30th minute, but nothing else of note.
In the second 40 minutes, PAOK intensified the pressure, in an attacking «monologue», which however did not bring any result. The chances came thick and fast. In the 42nd minute from Chaldezos, in the 47th and 49th minutes by Matera, on 53 minutes by Gersos, on 54 minutes by Chaldezos again, this time hitting the post, Matera then had another two efforts before Chaldezos also tried his luck, created a suffocating environment in the Panathinaikos penalty area. The match ended 0-0 and went directly to a penalty shootout, where, with the major protagonist PAOKgoalkeeper Giorgos Nikolaidis, who saved three penalties to help his team reach the final.
Team lineups:
PAOK: Nikolaidis, Mischos (80′ Hatsidis), Dimitrakopoulos (78′ Bouklas), Kalpakis, Filippiadis, Gersos, Matera (66′ Papadopoulos), Tsialis (66′ Topalidis), Souvlatzis, Lazaridis, Chaldezos.
Panathinaikos: Geitonas, Kalbourtzis (77′ Tsigas), Gartzonikas (77′ Biniaris), Semos, Lavdas, Karo, Papacharalambous, Dabizas (58′ Papakostas), Danielidis (77′ Lioutas), Karagounis (66′ Grebi), Tounousidis.
