Clinical PAOK dismantle Ioannina
One of the key things which has cost PAOK this season is profligacy. In Ioannina, however, the Double-headed Eagle were clinical and not only did they end the game as a contest early on, but they went on to put PAS Giannina to the sword with a 4-0 away win to claim all three points, as well as a lot more points in confidence.
If the truth be told, PAOK have been needing a win of this nature for some time. If only to make the players believe that what they began to try and build over the summer is not falling apart, despite the shocks that have come along the way in the first half of the season so far. And also to prove to the rest of the league that the club will never give up, no matter what the difficulties may be.
Razvan Lucescu’s team did not lose control at any point at all in this match. The first half was quite a balanced afair with many one-on-one duels and chances were at a premium. The only noteable chance in the first half came after half-an-hour of play when PAS defender Nicolae Milinceanu handled the ball in the box and the referee – albeit with the help of VAR – awarded a penalty. Jasmin Kurtic stepped up to take the spot-kick which he converted to make it 1-0 to the visitors on 31 minutes.
The pattern of play did not change in the second half either. The only thing that did change was that PAOK were even more superior, creating some very good chances, showing great movement of the ball, and solid build-up play from the defensive line which allowed the visitors to add another three goals. The first of the second-half goals came on 63 minutes when a slock passing move involving Chuba Akpom, Douglas Augusto, and Andrija Zivkovic ended with the latter of the trip teeing up Kurtic to send the ball into the corner of Lodygin’s net to make it 2-0 to PAOK.
Just five minutes later it was 3-0 when this time Akpom provided the assist for Augusto to score the goal which essentially locked up the victory via a powerful diagonal shot. PAOK’s in-form English forward Akpom rounded off an excellent display by converting Biseswar’s assist from close range for 4-0.
Team lineups:
PAS Giannina (Iraklis Metaxas): Lodygin, Saliakas, Eramuspe, Kargas, Peersman, Snyder, Dominguez, Liasos (71′ Siontis), Gardowski (71′ Lolis), Moreira (59′ Minas), Milinceanu.
PAOK (Razvan Lucescu): Paschalakis, Lyratzis, Mihaj, Crespo (65′ Ingason), Sidcley, Kurtic (74′ Schwab), Tsingaras, Murg (60′ Biseswar), Augusto, A. Zivkovic, Akpom.
