PAOK pick up where they left off
Seventeen days after their last fixture, PAOK stepped on the field again and continued from where they left off, defeating Atromitos 2-0 on Matchday 8 of the 2023-24 Stoiximan Super League at the Toumba Stadium to kick off a marathon of games with three points.
The game played out pretty much as everyone expected. Atromitos came to the Toumba to play a mass defense operation and claim something from the match, trying to strike on the counter-attack. PAOK, on the other hand, may have been slow to find their rhythm after the long break, but when they setled, they played good football, fashioned many chances, and managed to win with Ozdoev being the main protagonist.
The game was slightly… edgy to begin with. PAOK had most of the possession but failed to break down the opposing defense, with the visitors not particularly concerned with their attacking game. Razvan Lucescu’s side lined up with several changes, and threatened with Sastre’s long-range shot in the 44th minute.
The goal finally came when Despodov took a corner and Ozdoev made it 1-0 with a thunderous header in the dying moments of the first half, effectively paving the way for victory for his side.
In the second half, PAOK seemed to be released from their schackles, while Atromitos tried to stage a reaction, but the Double-headed Eagle’s defensive play was flawless, not giving the visitors a look-in.
Up the other end of the field, Ozdoev struck again in the 52nd minute. After a sustained period of pressure, Taison attempted to convert a pass from Despodov , but an Atromitos defender blocked the ball on the line. However, the ball ended up at teh feet of PAOK’s Russian midfielder, who made it 2-0 with an impressive finish.
The Double-headed Eagle contrived to miss a lot of chances, and two more goals from Ozdoev and Brandon that were both chalked off for offside after VAR interventions, with the final 2-0 scoreline remained unchanged until the final whistle.
The next challenge for PAOK is the away match against Aberdeen in Scotland, which will go a long way to deciding qualification from the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage.
Team lineups:
PAOK: Kotarski, Nasberg, Kedziora, Sastre (Vierinha 83′), Baba, Meite, Ozdoev (Schwab 75′), Murg (Konstantelias 69′), Taison, Despodov (A.Zivkovic 69′), Samatta (Brandon 75′).
Atromitos: Tsintotas, Keshrida, Tsakmakis (Jubitana 53′), Tzavellas, Imerekov, De Bock (Athanassiou 75′), Gonzales (Ellingmark 69′), Cude (Kuen 69′), Kamara, Vergos (Angielski 75′), Valencia.
