A Christmas cracker at the Toumba
The final league match of 2021 was a typical miniature example of what we have experienced during the past year. Continuous ups and downs, goals going in at both ends, the lead changing hands several times, missed opportunities, and in the end PAOK trying to find answers to the challenges found in their way. The final 3-2 result against Asteras Tripolis was the club’s third consecutive victory and the second consecutive one in which the home side have come from behind to win at the Toumba.
A match at the Toumba that does not start with the opposition scoring with their first effort on target is now considered a statistical error. And so, Asteras went in front in the 12th minute courtesy of a beautiful left-footed finish by Soni during a period when PAOK were in total control and were trying to break down a well-drilled Arcadian defence.
The goal unsettled PAOK somewhat, and the home side found it difficult to open up a route to Tsiftis’s goal. The solution came at the end of the first half when Chuba Akpom scored a classic center-forward’s goal. In the 43rd minute, the English striker carried the ball into the penalty area, switched feet to bring the ball onto his right foot and fired a diagonal shot into the corner to level the match.
PAOK started the second half in a similar way as the first half had ended – with goals. This time the goal came from from the penalty spot after Augusto drew a foul in teh box from Munafos. Kurtic converted the spot-kick and made it 2-1 to PAOK. The Double-headed Eagle, however, let their concentration slip in the 60th minute and from a set-piece Christopoulos headed an equalizer past Pachalakis’ for Asteras to make it 2-2.
From then on, the game acquired – according to the cliché – a kind of wild beauty. Schwab’s introduction made PAOK a bit more dangerous from midfield and increased the pressure on Asteras. The Double-headed Eagle created and missed some vital opportunities with Schwab, Augusto, Sidcley, and Akpom all guilty of profligacy. The home side finally found the solution via another penalty that Crespo won during one of his foreward forrays into the opposition penalty area. Kurtic, with his characteristic calm, sent the ball into the back of the net in the 90th minute to hand victory to PAOK.
Team lineups:
PAOK: Paschalakis, Sidcley (86′ Vieirinha), Crespo, Mihaj (71′ Ingason), Lyratzis, Tsingaras (71′ Schwab), Kurtic, Biseswar (71′ Murg), Augusto, A. Zivkovic, Akpom (86′ Swiderski)
Asteras Tripolis: Tsiftis, Christopoulos, Castanio, Carmona, Alvarez, Munafo, Valiente, Regis (81′ Garcia), Sito (46′ Tilika), Soni, Barrales (68′ Riera).
