Pregame
Kick Off
Half Time
Goals
Penalty
Substitution
Corners
Offside
Opportunity
Barshot
Comment
Yellow Card
Second Yellow Card
Red card
Missed Penalty
Beaten but unbowed
In an enthralling match, PAOK were the better team, played their football, and were two goals up and on the verge of a place in the 2023-24 Betsson Greek Cup final. But Panathinaikos scored in the last phase of the game to make it 2-1 to PAOK and level on aggregate at 2-2, and so it went to penalties, where luck was on the side of the home side who won the penalty shootout 6-5.
Until the 112th minute of the match, it was one-way traffic. PAOK entered the pitch in determined mood, pressing and battling hard from the first second. The visitors managed to get the match exactly where they wanted it, but missed the chance that would have ended the game in their favor.
Panathinaikos did not threaten throughout the first half. For PAOK, the game took a tough turn with the departure of Michailidis in the fourth minute due to injury. But from then on they did everything right, despite not being able to score in the opening half. Schwab missed two big chances, while Razvan Lucescu’s side reached almost 70% possession.
The pattern of the match did not change even in the second half. PAOK had the initiative in attack and in the 72nd minute found a way to unlock the opposing defence. Jonny Otto sent over a wonderful cross and Andrija Zivkovic made it 1-0.
PAOK continued to dominate but did not find a second goal before the end of 90 minutes. And so it went to extra time. Panathinaikos tried to come on strong, but the black and white’s defence worked perfectly and snuffed out any danger.
At the other end of the pitch, PAOK finally got the second goal they wanted. After Despodov’s corner kick, Kedziora made it 2-0 with a header in the 105th minute, and at that point the visitors were heading for the final since they were 2-1 ahead on aggregate in the tie.
PAOK were in control and managed the match perfectly, but the moment that defined the game came in the 112th minute.
Baba lost consciousness after an aerial clash of heads, and his tongue had also been twisted, with the player in real danger. With the intervention of the doctors, however, the Ghanaian recovered and was then immediately taken to hospital.
PAOK, with a player less having made all of their alloted substitutions, soaked up the pressure, before conceding a goal from Limnios in literally the last phase of play, and so the match went to penalties.
In the shootout, Kotarski parried Sporar’s shot, but Despodov missed PAOK’s fifth spot-kick and sent the proceedings to sudden death.
Limnios then missed, but Dragovski saved from Ozdoev . Mancini and Marcos Antonio were then on target, while Arao then hit the post. Dragovski though had the answer to Jonny’s effort, Schenkefeld found the net, and then Samatta missed for PAOK, ending the match in the Greens’ favor.
It was a bitter blow in Athens for a PAOK side that just fell short. But there is no need for tears for this team, who gave it their all for 130 minutes, against all possible odds, but just missed out on a place in the final in the finest of details.
Team lineups:
Panathinaikos: Dragovski, Kotsiras, Jedvaj (57′ Schenkefeld), Arao, Mladenovic, Bakasetas, Zeka (76′ Vagiannidis), Vilhena (85′ Mancini), Palacios (85′ Limnios), Ioannidis (76′ Sporar) , Bernard (106′ Jeremejeff).
PAOK: Kotarski, Otto, Kedziora, Michailidis (4′ Koulierakis), Baba, Meite, Schwab (74′ Ozdoev), A. Zivkovic (85′ Murg), Konstantelias (110′ Marcos Antonio), Taison (74 ‘ Despodov), Brandon (73’ Samatta).
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