A tough test with extra playing time
Razvan Lucescu gave his players the test of 60-minute halves in a match for the first time in the third pre-season friendly against Genk in Horst, which saw the Belgians ran out 3-1 winners after a hard-fought 120-minute battle.
The Double-headed Eagle coach fielded two different XIs in each of the 60 minutes, testing various combinations of players.
The Belgians took the lead with two goals early in the game, PAOK then balanced the game out after 20 minutes and started looking for a way to draw level.
The Belgian goalkeeper saved a penalty kick taken by Murg , which was given after Tsingaras was fouled, while PAOK eventually pulled a goal back to make it 2-1 through Baba , after a corner kick by Despodov in the 55th minute.
In the second half, PAOK kept the ball, controlled the pace, and created chances, but they could not find a second goal, with the Belgians making it three goals with a shot that took a deflection and fooled Tsiftsis .
Team lineups:
PAOK (1st half): Kotarski, Otto (38′ Sastre), Ekong, Koulierakis, Baba, Kamara, Tsingaras, Despodov, Murg, Taison, Samatta
(2nd half): Tsiftsis, Sastre, Michailidis, Nasberg (112′ Tsopouroglou), Sastre, Schwab, Thymianis, Vieirinha (115′ Tsaousis), Taison, Konstantelias (112′ Quagliata), Brandon.
Genk: Penders, Mujaid, Allier, Smets, Joris, Karetsas, Bangura, Steckers, Nkuba, Sternberg, Arokontare.
