Qualification in style with a goal blitz
The qualification issue had already been largely decided after the first leg. The Double-headed Eagle players wanted to rubber-stamp their place in the quarter-finals though with a good performance, to get a psychological boost and to satisfy the club’s fans who came out in force to back the team in difficult weather conditions once more. And PAOK delivered, prevailing 7-1 over Aigaleo to book a tie with AEK in the last eight of the 2024-25 Betsson Greek Cup.
PAOK left no room for their opponents to manouvre. The home side started in determined mood, and despite the many changes in the starting lineup, they were coherent, played well and got themselves 2-0 ahead within just 12 minutes.
In the sixth minute Shoretire received an assist from Sastre to make it 1-0, while six minutes later Tissoudali headed in a corner kick from A. Zivkovic to make it 2-0.
Aigaelo came to the Toumba to try and play football, pressed and in the 23rd minute scored a great goal with Dritsas shooting from inside the area after an assist from Kostopoulos.
PAOK, however, moved through the gears thereafter, scoring via A. Zivkovic in the 36th minute, with the ball being laid off to the Serb and he made it 3-1, while just before the break the hosts also hit the post via Samatta’s effort.
The second half started with PAOK getting another two goals. The protagonist was Tissoudali, who scored his first hat-trick in a PAOK jersey. First, in the 47th minute the Moroccan converted an assist from Samatta , with the ball taking a slight deflection off the foot of a defender on its way into the net, while four minutes later the same player slotted home after a shot from Lovren had hit the post.
Lucescu then made some changes, but PAOK did not lose control at any point, were not threatened in the second half, and scored two more goals. In the 79th minute, Taison converted a pass from Murg, while in the 81st minute, Murg provided another assist, this time for Brandon , who scored with a stylish finish to make it 7-1.
PAOK will now face AEK in the quarter-finals of the competition. The first leg will be held at the OPAP Arena on December 18 or 19, while the second leg at the Toumba will take place on January 7, 8 or 9.
Team lineups:
PAOK: Pavlenka, Gomez, Michailides (Kottas 70’), Lovren, Sastre, Thymianis, Kamara (Schwab 70’), Tissoudali (Brandon 56’), Shoretire (Murg 70’), A. Zivkovic (Taison 46’), Samatta.
Aigaleo: Tsimopoulos, Zioulis (Paraskevopoulos 76’), Kariki, Kostopoulos, Liofagos, Bardas, Karvounis, Varkas (Tatsis 66’), Babis (Tapas 46’), Fofana (Vorgiazidis 46’), Dritsas (Tsoukalos 54’).
