PAOK sarted the match in determined mood, taking control of the game from the start. First Vieirinha fired a warning shot narrowly over the crossbar, before Samatta surged into the box to score in the 15th minute. However, technology deprived the home forward on this occasion, as the VAR showed that the Tanzanian was just a few millimeters ahead of the last defender from the German visitors.

It took 13 minutes for the next big chance to emerge, and it was to be decisive. Andrija Živkovic swang over a brilliant, curling free-kick from wide out on the right flank that fooled everyone – including the Eintracht goalkeeper – and ended up in the opposite corner of the goal to make it 1-0 to PAOK.

The Germans tried to respond, but the Double-headed Eagle’s defensive play was excellent, and the score remained the same up until half-time.

The pattern of the match did not change in the second half. PAOK were calm and composed, executing their gameplan in the right way and taking up good positions, with some excellent transition play to manage the game. However, all of that was undone by a slip by Koulierakis, which allowed Marmous the opportunity to steal possession and march goalwards before firing confidently past Kotarski to equalize in the 68th minute.

Razvan Lucescu threw all of his available «weapons» into the fray from the bench to try and get the Double-headed Eagle to respond in a positrive manner.

And they did just that, mounting a series of attakcs on the visitors goal. Even as the clock ticked down, the players still seemed to believe in the coach’s plan and they managed to score a late winning goal in the second minute of added time. PAOK won a free-kick outside the penalty area over on the left flank, Despodov took the set-piece, sending the ball into the heart of the Eintracht penalty area. Schwab flicked on the first header, and Hasebe failed to clear. Koulierakis arrived right on time onto the ball to prod it into the back of the net to both redeem his earlier error, and provide the trigger for a crazy celebration party at the Toumba after the final whistle.

PAOK: Kotarski, Vieirinha, Ekong, Koulierakis, Baba, Meite (Tsingaras 77′), Ozdoev (Schwab 67′), Murg (Konstantelias 67′), A.Zivkovic, Taison (Despodov 77′), Samatta (Brandon 85′) .

Eintracht: Trapp, Tuta, Koch, Patso, Knauf, Larsson (Hasebe 90′), Skiri, Enkunku (Buta 46′), Hauge (Edibe 62′), Saibi (Ferry 90′), Marmus (Engakam 75′).