This was by definition a difficult match against a well-organized team at the top end of the table, a team which also presses high up the pitch and plays good football. PAOK, however, looked well-read, focused, and also had the required energy and quality to dominate. And with Kurtic in dangerous positions and in the mood, the home side collected another three-point haul while also keeping a clean sheet.

The game started in dynamic fashion, with a good rhythm in the first 10 minutes when both teams missed an important opportunity each to score. The hosts saw Douglas fail to convert a good opportunity, before Tsilianidis also missed with a shot from a good position.

Somewhere there was the end of the major highlights in termd of goal threats in the first half, with both teams trying mainly not to give the opposition the chance to threaten, with possession changing hands from time to time. The goalkeepers emjoyed a relatively quiet opening 45 minutes, however.

In the second half things changed. PAOK were quick out of the blocks and were the first team to threaten with Waterman stopping a shot by A. Zivkovic. The crucial phase of play of the match then arrived in the 50th minute. OFI had the ball in the back of the net through Tsilianidis following a counter-attack after a long phase of play, but a VAR review found that there was a penalty in favor of PAOK before that for a handball from Vouros.

OFI’s goal was correctly chalked off and Kurtic converted the penalty to put PAOK in the driving seat. The Double-headed Eagle’s goal forced OFI to open up a bit more and that gave more space to PAOK, and Lucescu’s players took advantage of the opportunities that came their way and locked up the win.

In the 76th minute Biseswar made a nice turn in the area and teed up Kurtic who made it 2-0 with a sweet side-footed strike. The final score was then made 3-0 by Swiderski in the 84th minute, the Pole stealing the ball after a mistake by Waterman and stroking the ball into an empty net.

Earlier, the Pole had scored, but his ‘goal’ was ruled out for offside. OFI tried desperately to grab at least a consolation goal, but PAOK’s well-organized defense worked perfectly and the home side held firm until the final whistle.

Now PAOK turn their attention to the first leg match against AEK in the quarter-finals of the Greek Cup at the Toumba next Wednesday (19.01) at 19:00.

Team lineups:

PAOK: Paschalakis, Lyratzis, Ingason, Crespo, Vieirinha (74′ Sidcley), Tsingaras (63′ Schwab), Kurtic, A. Zivkovic, Mitrita (63′ Jaba), Augusto (63′ Biseswar), Akpom (70′ Swiderski)

OFI: Waterman, Vouros, Pasalidis (89′ Marinakis), Giannoulis, Balogiannis, Mellardo (70′ Kamaou), Gallegos, De Guzman, Neira (83′ Van Duinen), Toral (83′ Nabi), Tsilianidis (70′) .