PAOK lay foundations for qualification with draw at Larissa
The opposition did not go past the half-way line more than six times. From one of those forays though they managed to score a goal that saw the black clouds that PAOK have gathered around them of late thicken even more. A clutch of missed opportunities smacked of deja-vu. Kurtic’s thunderbolt of a free-kick saw the scores end level at 1-1, and while that goal did not give victory, neither did it bring as much confidence as the team was looking for, but it has prevented a psychological free fall. PAOK now need a victory at the Toumba to reach the last eight of the Greek Cup.
PAOK went to the Alkazar in the worst possible psychological state after the events and results of the previous week. They went out onto the pitch with the sole aim of getting a victory, but again failed to transform their dominance into goals and a win.
Larissa, in contrast, found a route to goal with their only real scoring chance and maintained the lead until the last moments of the match. But Jasmin Kurtic’s ability from set pieces had the last word. The Slovak scored with a superb, curling effort to make the final score 1-1 and now the two teams will resolve their differences in the second leg at the Toumba.
Razvan Lucescu made many changes for this mattch, giving a starting berth to Ingi Ingason after seven months sidelined through injury, while he also played with both forwards Akpom and Swiderski from the start. PAOK went out onto the pitch in determined mood to get back to winning ways.
The Double=headed Eagle were in control from the first minute and threatened Souloukos’s goal in the fifth minute but Akpom did not make a clean contact with the ball and the Larissa goalkeeper was able to smother it. In the 20th minute, Swiderski then failed to find the target from inside the right-hand side of the penalty area, blazing wildly high over the crossbar from a good position. Then in the 31st minute, Mihaj’s header sailed narrowly over the bar as well.
Two minutes later, Murg sent a free-kick fizzing just wide of Soulukou’s post, while in the 37th minute, Akpom collected a ball from Mihaj but he failed to convert his chance into a goal.
In the second half the pattern of play did not change much. PAOK again had the initiative and upper hand and in the 55th minute Akpom missed a golden opportunity to open the scoring. The Englishman did all the hard work to work himself some space and a clear sight of goal in the penalty area, but his shot flashed inches over the crossbar.
In the 63rd minute, Lucescu made a triple change, throwing on Sidcley, A. Zivkovic and Kurtic in an effort to freshen up the team in midfield. However, against the run of play, Larissa then took the lead when after a cross from the left by Glynos, and a near post header, Tahar stole in at the far post to beat Zivkovic with a clever close-range finish to put the home side 1-0 up.
The rest of the half saw PAOK lay siege to the home goal as Larissa tried to protect their slender lead. The visitors created several chances, however A. Zivkovic, Mihaj, and El Kaddouri all failed to convert them. Just when it seemed another disappointing defeat ws on the cards, however, Kurtic salvaged a draw by sending his brilliant free-kick into the top left-hand corner of the home net.
Team lineups:
AEL: Souloukos, Papageorgiou, Maidanos, Theologou, Gotzamanidis, Garoufalias, Tahar (73′ Iliadis), Giakos (62′ Symelidis), Kousta (62′ Acuna), Mavrias (62′ Papageorgiou K.), Glynos (82′ Badimbaga).
PAOK: Z.Zivkovic, Lyratzis (83′ Sidcley), Ingason, Mihaj, Taylor, Esiti (63′ Kurtic), Schwab (75′ Biseswar), Murg (63′ A. Zivkovic), El Kaddouri, Swiderski, Akpom.
