A day at the office
PAOK comfortably prevailed 2-0 over Apollon Smyrni for matchday 6 of Super League Souroti, on the emotionally charged day of the Tempi memorial service.
Toumba was packed in honour of the six fans who lost their lives on 4 October 1999 in Tempi. Before kick-off, both sets of players and coaching staffs laid wreaths in the monument and observed one-minute silence in honour of the victims.
PAOK were determined to keep their upward momentum and record their 6th victory in as many league encounters. Răzvan Lucescu made just three changes to the team that defeated BATE Borisov in Belarus for the UEFA Europa League.
The “Double-Headed Eagle” claimed possession right from the start, forcing Apollon Smyrni to retreat and settle for a counterattacking game. In one of these counters, Alexandros Paschalakis denied Triadis who broke free and headed for goal.
PAOK managed to find a way past the defence of the “Light Brigade” in the 15th minute, with Maurício’s flawless finish following a corner kick by Dimitris Pelkas .
The match pace dropped after the opener with niggling fouls and errors by both sides interrupting the flow of play. PAOK however remained in control and came close to a second goal in the 42nd minute, with Diego Biseswar teed up by Léo Jabá.
After the interval, the “Double-Headed Eagle” stepped on the throttle in search of a goal that would put the match to bed. Jabá and Fernando Varela missed their chances before the stroke of the hour. Apollon gained yards on the pitch and went for their chances, but Mantzios couldn’t beat Paschalakis on two occasions.
PAOK sealed their 2-0 victory in the last minute of the encounter with a header by José Ángel Crespo following another corner kick by Pelkas.
The “Double-Headed Eagle” continued their victorious run in the league maintaining their perfect record. Now they aim to make the most of the international break, with a well-deserved physical and mental rest after 15 demanding encounters.
Line-ups:
PΑΟΚ: Paschalakis, Μatos, Varela, Crespo, Vieirinha , Shakhov, Maurício, Jabá (72’ Κarelis), Pelkas , Biseswar (87’ Limnios), Prijović (80’ Akpom).
Apollon Smyrni: Huanderson, Nadales (68’ Shikabala), Tzanetopoulos, Vafeas, Stathis, Κοné, Kontoes, D’Urso, Triadis (86’ Garrós), Mantzios, Thomás (58’ Gino).
