Pregame
Kick Off
Half Time
Goals
Penalty
Substitution
Corners
Offside
Opportunity
Barshot
Comment
Yellow Card
Second Yellow Card
Red card
Missed Penalty
A battling, determined away win
It was by definition a difficult assignment. And as the match against Panathinaikos at «Leoforos» progressed it became more difficult. But «difficult» tends to become the ideal situtation for PAOK, who defeated the Greens 3-2 in their own back yard in their return to competitive action after the international break.
Razvan Lucescu lined up his team with the aim of keeping possession, dominating the pitch and dictating the play. Panathinaikos, for their part, started by pressing high and it took about 70 seconds for them to pay for it.
Brandon Thomas battled hard with whoever he found in front of him, and he passed to Rafa Soares, who crossed for Kiril Despodov to score with an improbable finish to make it 1-0 just after the first minute of the match.
The goal gave the psychological advantage to Lucescu’s men, who were the better side, while the hosts then tried to press even further up the pitch. The Double-headed Eagle found space again as a result, and in the 17th minute after stealing possession, Despodov sent over a dangerous cross, but this time Dragovski in the Panathinaikos goal saved Brandon’s effort.
In the next phase, the home side’s goalkeeper parried Kedziora’s headed for a corner. Then, in the 29th minute, luck was on the side of Panathinaikos. After a long ball, Bernard ended up picking up possession and he made it 1-1 with a snapshot.
The collective mind of the visiting players did not break at that point, and Lucescu’s players methodically took the lead again in the 37th minute.
With an exemplary attacking move, the ball reached Murg, and he served it up to Brandon who scored to make it 2-1.
Lucescu was forced to readjust his plans as Kedziora went head-to-head with Sporar at the end of the first half and was unable to continue after getting injured.
PAOK came out strong in the second half and in the 50th minute they missed a great opportunity with Dragovski saving Brandon’s effort. Panathinaikos then took the initiative and had some good moments through Bernard, Bakasetas and Jedvaj, but Kotarski was there each time to deny the home isde when he was needed, as did Koulierakis, who in the 69th minute stopped Jedvaj with a great defensive challenge.
While the game was coming to an end, PAOK was looking for the phase that would lock up the game and it came in the 88th minute.
Samatta controlled the ball in the box, then fired in a shot that Dragovski saved. Samatta again then got possession moments later from a throw-in and Palacios stopped the ball with his hand on the line, resulting in him being sent off and Schwab then dispatched the subsequent penalty kick to make it 3-1 to PAOK.
The only thing Panathinaikos managed before the final whistle was to reduce the deficit to 3-2 with Bernard again the man on target.
PAOK then returned to winning ways in the league and now turn their attention to the battle with Lamia on Wednesday at Toumba Stadium.
Team lineups:
Panathinaikos: Dragovski, Vagiannidis (46′ Perez), Jedvaj, Arauo, Mladenovic (46′ Juancar), Kotsiras, Cerin (79′ Geremeyev), Bakasetas, Bernard, Ioannidis, Sporar (46′ Palacios).
PAOK: Kotarski, Jonny (77′ Vieirinha), Kedziora (46′ Nasberg), Koulierakis, Rafa Soares, Meite, Schwab, Despodov (61′ A.Zivkovic), Murg (61′ Konstantelias), Taison, Brandon (72′ Samatta).
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