As difficult as it is to handle a defeat, it is just as difficult to handle a victory. On Holy Thursday, PAOK secured a great victory and booked a place in the Greek Cup final. After that, it was the duty of everyone at the club to leave the festivities aside to concentrate on the battle for second place in the Super League Interwetten. And they did it in the most convincing way.

PAOK traveled to Athens with a host of absentees, but also with the single aim of getting three points. The coaching staff chose to make a few changes, with Michael Krmencik spearheading the attack, Thomas Murg taking over on the left wing, and Giannis Michailidis completing the defensive trio with Vieirinha and Varela, instead of Ingason who was not available.

AEK tried to surprise the visitors in the beginning, but they only managed to threaten with a shot from distance. PAOK’s response was immediate and by half an hour the Double-headed Eagle could have taken the lead, but Athanasiadis denied Krmencik in two one-on-one situations.

In the closing stages of the first half  the hosts began to press hard for an opening goal, but PAOK goalkeeper Paschalakis had the answer when Galanopoulos tried his luck in the 42nd minute, and the teams went into the dressing rooms at the break at 0-0.

Everything changed during the start of the second half. Warda came on to replace Murg and breathed new life into the game down the left wing, from which both of PAOK’s two goals came from.

In the 47th minute A. Zivkovic sent the Egyptian maurading through towards the opposition goal with a magical pass, and he then in turn teed up Krmencik who struck to make it 1-0 to the visitors.

Two minutes later the scenario was repeated. Krmencik carried the ball into the penalty area, Lopez upended him, and Stefan Schwab dispatched the resulting penalty kick with 50 minjutes on the clock to put the visitors 2-0 ahead. Those two quick goals gave PAOK the incentive to control the rest of the game and keep AEK away from Paschalakis’s goal.

And the visitors did just that. In fact, they could have even scored another goal, but first Rodrigo and then A. Zivkovic and Tzolis failed to convert chances presented to them.

The only thing that AEK managed to muster was to reduce the deficit in the second minute of added time with a penalty scored by Tankovic.

PAOK then claimed the three-points, taking advantage of Aris’ draw with Olympiacos to climb into second place, two points above the Yellows with three games to go until the end of the Play Offs.

Team line-ups:

AEK: Athanasiadis, Svarnas, Chygrynsky, Nedelcearu (58′ Tankovic), Lopez, Danchenko (58′ Vasilantonopoulos), Kristicic, Galanopoulos (58′ Szymanski), Shakhov (81′ Kosidis), Albanis, Ansarifard

PAOK: Paschalakis, Vieirinha, Varela, Michailidis, Baba, Rodrigo, Augusto (46′ Tsingaras), Schwab, A. Zivkovic (84′ Tzolis), Murg (46′ Warda), Krmencik (73′ Swiderski)