PAOK produce a reaction but fail to get the result
In what was a balanced game for about 50 minutes, PAOK somehow found themselves two goals behind. The reaction came, as Baba’s volley put them back in the game, but too many missed chances in the second half deprived the team of getting a positive result from the derby against AEK at the Toumba Stadiuim.
PAOK lined up for the game with just two changes, with Wieteska and Konstantelias starting instead of Schwab and Michailides. The game was balanced for most of the first half, with Despodov and Ozdoev each having a goal attempt for the home side, while AEK on their part had a double chance via Pineda and Lamela. A goal came for the visitors in the 36th minute though when Lamela hit a first-time volley from distance following a corner from Rota.
AEK also had luck on their side at the start of the second half, when Lamela made a cross in the 47th minute, the ball ricocheted off Ozdoev and ended up in Kotarski’s net to make it 2-0 to the visitors.
PAOK did not hesitate, however, and reacted immediately, first showing warning signs of pulling a goal back from Konstantelias , who saw AEK goalkeeper Strakosha save his excellent shot. Shortly afterwards, however, came the lifeline the hosts were looking for in the 52nd minute when Baba met the ball after a right-wing cross from Despodov and blasted the ball left-footed into the roof of the net on the volley.
Pelkas and Samatta then came off the bench and gave some further energy to PAOK, who took control of the match and with the momentum in their favor tried to turn the match around, but unfortunately they showed too much profligacy in front of goal, missing some big chances.
In the 66th minute Pelkas crossed low for Samatta , who saw his clever backheeled effort on the move saved brilliantly by Strakosha, and Taison failed to turn the rebound into an empty net. PAOK continued to pile on the pressure and in added time of the match they passed up two further opportunities that should have resulted in goals.
In the 92nd minute, Kedziora surged down the right channel before turning inside and hitting a left-footed shot that looked destined for the top corner, only for the effort to flash narrowly wide of Strakosha’s post with the ‘keeper beaten. Then the AEK goalkeeper saved twice in the 96th minute, initially parrying Kedziora’s glancing header and then on the rebound, he blocked a close-range effort by Wieteska following a curling free-kick from the left delivered by substitute Vieirinha.
Team lineups:
PAOK: Kotarski, Baba, Otto (84′ Vieirinha), Kedziora, Wieteska, Kamara (75′ Meite), Ozdoev (84′ Schwab), Konstantelias, Taison, Despodov (54′ Pelkas), Brandon (54′ Samatta).
AEK: Strakosha, Rota (58′ Odubajo), Haji Safi, Vida, Moukoundi, Jonsson, Pineda (64′ Ljubicic), Pereyra (83′ Syzmanski), Martial, Lamela (83′ Eliasson), Piero (64′ Koita).
