Coach Abel Ferreira opted not to change things and fielded the same starting line-up he selected against Xanthi at the Toumba last weekend. PAOK started so strongly, pushing their opponents back into their own half that is seemed as though this match was a continuation of last week’s match against the Akrites.

And although last weekend it took a long time for the ball to go in, this time it was the exact opposite. Dimitris Pelkas was in the right place in the right time to slot home from close range after Panetolikos goalkeeper Christopher Knett parried a cross from Dimitris Giannoulis into his path.

The visitors continued to play at the same tempo for a short spell afterwards, and then in the second half of the opening period the home side finally began to play their way into the game. They began to pressurize Zivko Zivkovic’s goal but the PAOK defence reacted well and did everything they could to prevent the home side from getting a clear sight of their Serbian shot-stopper’s goal. Vierinha and Pelkas had half-chances on the stroke of half-time but Knett managed to keep both of them out.

Ferreira’s players regrouped at half-time and began to go in search of goals to kill off the match in the second half, but Vierinha and Josip Misic both missed from good positions, while Pelkas scored another ‘goal’ which was quickly ruled out for offside after 55 minutes. Ferreira decided to bring on El Kaddouri and Akpom for the last half-hour, and the latter became the game’s most influential player.

On 66 minutes, AK47 laid on the simplest of goals for Dimitris Limnios to score from close-range, while three minutes later Misic returned the favor for Akpom with a brilliant pass which the Englishman took advantage of to make it 3-0 with a clinical side-footed finish.

The tempo of the match dropped after the third goal, and after that the match evened out a little with the home side enjoying some possession but without managing to trouble PAOK’s defence. Knett had to be alert to save a late free-kick from Vierinha, but it mattered not as PAOK still went on to claim another three-point haul and complete 49 matches unbeaten, while also remaining joint-top of the table on 34 points with Olympiacos.

Team line-ups:

Panetolikos: Knett, Sagna, Martial, Jovanovic, Lucero (25′ Liavas), Ταhar, Sjostedt (59′ Tsiggaras), Ariyibi, Fytopoulos, (46′ Bajrovic), Minito, Diaz

PAOK: Zivkovic, Matos (79′ Varela), Ingason, Crespo, Giannoulis, Mauricio, Misic, Limnios, Vierinha, Pelkas (62′ El Kaddouri), Swiderski (62′ Akpom)