Pregame
Kick Off
Half Time
Goals
Penalty
Substitution
Corners
Offside
Opportunity
Barshot
Comment
Yellow Card
Second Yellow Card
Red card
Missed Penalty
Crime and... punishment
A… basketball style penalty and a goal resulting from a clear foul were enough for Olympiacos to beat PAOK 2-1 at the «Georgios Karaiskakis» on Matchday 6 of the 2023-14 Stoiximan Super League Play Offs. The Double-headed Eagle missed out on the chance to take the lead in the title race, but they continue to have their fate in their own hands, with all their title rivals still needing to visit Toumba Stadium.
A hard-fought and closely-contested derby encounter, which looked like it would be decided by a mistake, took place in Piraeus as both teams came into the game on the back of demanding games in Europe. In the end, the mistakes were made by the match officials, who essentially shaped the final result.
PAOK started the match with a desire to keep the ball, control the pace and impose their game. And they largely succeeded in this, but lacked composure in the final third. Olympiacos, for their part, were content to try to find spaces in behind the Black and Whites’ defense with deep, and long passes. In fact, on two occasions, the Red and Whites found the net through Navarro, but both strikes were chalked off after VAR reviews.
In the 27th minute, Olympiacos tried to do the same again. This time Navarro brought the ball down, Koulierakis made a simple challenge with the Olympiacos player and the referee pointed to the penalty spot, for the kind of foul that would only be given in a basketball game.
PAOK goalkeeper Kotarski had the answer to Podence’s run and shot with a fine save, but Quini’s follow up on the rebound made it 1-0 from close range. PAOK tried to react and in the 43rd minute they had their own big moment, but Andrija Zivkovic’s shot was blocked by Chiquinho.
In the second half, the pattern of the match did not change. PAOK tried to play their game, but they lacked confidence in the crucial points. The visitors did have a good chance when Taison went close with a free-kick, while Navarro fired a shot off target for the home side.
In the 61st minute came the phase that ultimately decided the game. Sastre made an impressive forward run down the right channel towards the Olympiacos area, and he was tripped as he sought to penetrate the home side’s defensive line, but the referee did not stop play for what was a clear foul. Then the hosts went straight up the other end and scored a second goal with Gelson the man on target,
PAOK did not give up the ghost, however, and looked for a goal that would get them back in the game. Koulierakis could not find the target with his head, but in the end Marcos Antonio converted an assist from Andrija Zivkovic in the 88th minute to set up a tense finale.
PAOK fought hard in the last few minutes of added time to try and get something out of the game, but the home side managed to hold on to win 2-1.
Team lineups:
Olympiacos: Tzolakis, Richards, Abbey, Retsos, Quini (94′ Vezo), Horta (85′ Carvalho), Iborra, Chiquinho (78′ Hezze), Podence, Martins Gelson (78′ Masouras), Navarro (85′ El Kaabi).
PAOK: Kotarski, Baba, Koulierakis, Kedziora, Sastre (78′ Otto), Meite (74′ Schwab), Ozdoev, Taison (78′ Marcos Antonio), Murg (59′ Despodov), A. Zivkovic, Brandon (59′ Samatta).
{{timelineDisplay(comment)}}
:
{{comment.extra_data.media.caption}}
{{timelineDisplay(comment)}}
: