Everyone involved with PAOK were anticipating the Double-headed Eagle to produce a response to the recent string of poor results, but in the end, as Razvan Lucescu said, it was a case of the same type of match having the same outcome, with PAOK slipping up in similar fashion as they did in the matches against Atromitos and Aris, with only minor changes in the details.

PAOK this time began well and found the quick goal that they were looking for to go in front. But after that, everything went wrong. Ionikos responded immediately, enjoyed a gift from the referees, took the lead before half-time, and then improved further in the second half and found another goal. However, from 60 minutes on, it was PAOK in the ascendancy. The visitors reduced the deficit, and then pounded Ionikos inside their own half for half an hour, but they failed to find any further goals and dropped more precious points.

Lucescu’s team started the game well, held the ball, produced some good build-up play and transformed their superiority into a goal after 18 minutes. Taylor crossed from the right and Swiderski headed home to make it 1-0 to PAOK.

Ionikos’ response was swift, though. After a long phase of play, the ball reached Canas and the former PAOK man made it 1-1 in the 20th minute with a powerful shot.

In the 33rd minute, Lenis went down under the challenge of Paschalakis, who saved the shot. However, Tzilos consulted the VAR and pointed to the penalty spot. Aosman scored from the spot to put the hosts 2-1 up. Both teams had a chance each before the break but the score remained unchanged.

The start of the second half was the worst possible one for the Double-headed Eagle. The players seemed to lack concentration and Ionikos took advantage in the 49th minute to make it 3-1 through Lenis, who then almost made it 4-1 but was denied by Paschalakis.

Lucescu threw on Murg and Schwab into the battle and he was immediately vindicated. The former scored with an impressive header from Sidcley’s cross to make it 3-2 – a goal which drastically changed the visitors’ psychology.

From that point of the game onwards it was all PAOK and finally the visitors were playing the football that we know they can. With a clear mind, intensity and passion they created a clutch of opportunities but failed to score, with the 3-2 scoreline remaining as such until the final whistle, despite near misses from Sidcley, El Kaddouri and Schwab .

Team lineups:

Ionikos: Choutesiotis, Mygas, Romao, Chygrinski, Sanchez, Valerianos, Canas (68′ Matsoukas), Dalcio, Kiakos (68′ Gotsoulias), Aosman (77 ‘ Manalis), Lenis (88’ Vafeas).

PAOK: Paschalakis, Sidcley, Michailidis (85′ Akpom), Varela, Taylor (73′ Augusto), Esiti (54′ Murg), Kurtic, El Kaddouri, Biseswar (54′ Schwab), A. Zivkovic, Swiderski.