U20s cruise to a comfortable victory
Weather conditions in Souroti were far from ideal and continuous rain hindered the players’ efforts.
Since minute one, PAOK dominated proceedings and barely left their visitors any opportunity to cross the centre line. It was no wonder that AEL Larissa managed just one shot on goal in 90 minutes!
The “Double-Headed Eagle” went after a quick opener once again. Gargalatzidis fired a warning shot in the 12th minute and, three minutes later, Tzovaras received Balogiannis’s assist and his finish from inside the box gave PAOK the lead.
In the 25th minute, Balogiannis turned from provider to scorer with an astonishing long-range strike. In the 38th minute, PAOK extended their lead to 3-0 with Gargalatzidis’s goal from the six-yard box, following a fine individual effort of Papathanasiou.
The game pace dropped slightly after the interval, but PAOK remained in command and kept searching for more goals. Gargalatzidis’s header was denied by woodwork in the 50th minute, but the “Double-Headed Eagle” players got their reward in the 82nd minute, with an excellent move and impeccable finish by Chatzistravos.
Ukrainian forward Illya Markovskyy made his debut for PAOK with a 20-minute cameo, just a few days after signing for the “Double-Headed Eagle”.
PAOK U20: Siampanis, Dimitriou, Diamantis, Papathanasiou, Τsaousis, Chatzidimpas (58’ Mišković), Balogiannis, Chatzistravos, Τzovaras, Kozak (46’ Gaitanidis), Gargalatzidis (70’ Markovskyy)
