Razvan Lucescu’s team achieved only one of their two goals in Ioannina. To finish the game without actually allowing the opposition a single significant goal attempt, with Živko Živkovic remaining a spectator. At the other end of the pitch, however, despite not creating as many chances as usually, PAOK still managed to create important goal threats. But, when they did get through, the woodwork denied them.

The first half was an instantly forgettable 45 minutes of football. PAOK had possession, PAS played for the most part with 11 players behind the ball, and notable moments were few and far between.

In the 20th minute, Taison played an incredible pass to Sastre , and the Spaniard squared the ball across the six-yard box for Brandon , but the Double-headed Eagle forward sent the ball narrowly wide. PAOK had two more good moments with Kostantelias initially and then with Narey, while in the last phase of the first half Pelios seemed to handle the ball in the penalty area, but both the referee and VAR indicated that there was no offence and that the game should continue.

Lucescu brought on Schwab on for Filipe Soares at the break and PAOK came on strong, having two headers from Brandon and Taison in the first 15 minutes of the second half, with Tsintotas stopping the first and seeing the second go narrowly wide of his goal.

In the 63rd minute Brandon tried to score an improbable goal, but Tsintotas had the answer to save his shot. PAOK tightened their grip and started to become more productive in terms of creating a goal threat after that.

Lucescu threw A. Živković, Biseswar and Tzimas into the battle, and in the last few minutes PAOK missed some incredible opportunities to score what surely would have been the winning goal.

Initially, in the 86th minute, Tzimas saw his header saved first by Tsintotas and then the post. Two minutes later Douglas fired in a shot from a distance, the ball hit a defender’s leg, changed direction and Tsintotas blocked with a double save.

The best chance came in the first minute of stoppage time. Tzimas passed to Biseswar, who produced a great individual effort in the area to find space and direct a shot goalwards, but the ball cannoned off the crossbar, with the 0-0 scoreline remaining the same at the final whistle.

Team lineups:

PAS Giannina: Tsintotas, Soria, Bakadimas, Eramouspe, Pelios, Karachalios (Liassos 33′), Rienstra, Gino, Moreira, Lolis (Rossero 58’/Fofana 80′), Balan.

PAOK: Z.Zivkovic, Sastre, Ingason, Koulierakis, Rafa Soares, Augusto (Schwab 46′), Filipe Soares, Narey (A.Zivkovic 68′), Taison (Biseswar 86′), Konstantelias, Brandon (Tzimas 85′).