Pregame
Kick Off
Half Time
Goals
Penalty
Substitution
Corners
Offside
Opportunity
Barshot
Comment
Yellow Card
Second Yellow Card
Red card
Missed Penalty
A healthy lead
Those expecting a walk in the park against a Swedish side in full competition mode and with more than 20 matches under their belt were proven wrong of course. Although the encounter didn’t suggest such a… script, the visitors took the lead in the 21st minute from the spot kick by Nouri, after a blunder by Marin Leovac and Rodrigo Rey.
Turning the tie around against a side defending in numbers became an uphill battle for the “Double-Headed Eagle”. But they managed to do it. In the 38th minute, Léo Matos provided the solution with a fine header set up by Gojko Cimirot.
After the interval, PAOK searched for a second goal calmly but decidedly. It took them a while, but a fine effort by Djalma Campos teed up Aleksandar Prijović for a header that made it 2-1 in the 77th minute, allowing Toumba faithful to burst into celebration.
Meanwhile, Răzvan Lucescu provided a further boost in attack by introducing Dimitris Pelkas for Yevhen Shakhov, Pedro Henrique for Diego Biseswar and Stefanos Athanasiadis for Róbert Mak. In one of his trademark charges forward, Pedro Henrique chipped the ball before the Swedes’ goalkeeper who had no other option but bringing him down in the 87th minute. Prijović held his nerve and his flawless spot kick gave PAOK a 3-1 win, a fine score for a first-leg match.
The “Double-Headed Eagle” meant business and overcame the obstacles presented before them during the encounter, including a goal against the run of play. That is exactly what Lucescu had promised in their press conference on Wednesday.
Östersunds FK’s presence in the UEFA Europa League play-offs is no fluke. They are strong physically and run incessantly –PAOK need to be alert in the second leg next week, in order to secure yet another presence in the group stage.
Line-ups:
PΑΟΚ: Rey, Matos, Leovac, Crespo, Varela, Shakhov (63’Pelkas), Cimirot, Biseswar (74’ Henrique), Mak (81’ Athanasiadis) , Campos, Prijović.
Östersunds FK: Keita, Mukiibi (72’ Bergqvist), Papagiannopoulos, Pettersson, Widgren, Mensah, Nouri, Bachirou, Sema (71’ Gero), Ghoddos (81’ Björkström), Aiesh.
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