A change of mentality and spirit inspires comeback win
From the first day he returned, Razvan Lucescu talked about one thing that he wanted his team to have, first and foremost: the right mentality. The derby against Panathinaikos at the Toumba completely justified his words. The Greens conjured up an early surprise, then tried to turn the game into an anti-football match. However, PAOK did not bend or break. The hosts showed composure, desire, and passion and fought back to score two goals and clinch a vital three-point haul.
The match began in the worst possible way. Following a series of free-kicks, Palacios struck with a powerful finish to put the visitors in fron after just six minutes.
Jovanovic then decided to try and park the bus and PAOK began to control the possession, but the home side could not find a way through a packed defensive line to create openings. The best moment for the Double-headed Eagle in the first half was Colak’s header against the woodwork after 25 minutes, with the Croatian missing another good chance in added time before the break with an impressive bicycle kick which flashed narrowly wide.
In between those efforts, Paschalakis saved well from a Sanchez header, while the Panathinaikos players tried their best to to play anything but football in an attempt to disrupt the tempo.
In the second half the Double-headed Eagle made a chance, with Biseswar coming on to replace Murg. The Suriname midfielder was immediately a threat, having three attempts at Brinioli’s goal without success.
The visitors continued to play with all of their players sitting back deep in their own half, looking to attack only on the counter-attack but without threatening Paschalakis’ goal.
On the other hand, PAOK continued to be patient and looked to create openings through persistant and deliberate passing play. The home side’s forwards, however, were not having one of their best days at the office, and in the end it was the defenders who showed them the way.
Ingi Ingason was the first to have a say. The Icelandic center-back scored with a clinical finish after a sustained spell of pressure from the home side, making it 1-1 and reigniting the interest in the game.
The Double-headed Eagle were now looking more confident and continued to press for a winning goal, and they got their reward in the 89th minute thanks to Joan Sastre, who scored a great goal to complete a brillient comeback.
The Spanish full-back produced a wonderful strike from outside the penalty area with the outside of his boot to send the ball into the top corner in style. He was duly mobbed by his teammates amid jublilant celebrations on the pitch and among the players and officials in the PAOK dugout.
In hte endm PAOK never gave up, showed their character, and celebrated a victory which gives the team a boost ahead of their next challenge – the second leg of theirt Greek Cup quarter-final tie against ΑΕΚ and the ΟΑΚΑ on Wedensday (09.02, 20:00).
Team lineups:
PAOK: Paschalakis, Sastre , Ingason, Michailidis, Vieirinha (64′ Sidcley), Kurtic (82′ Schwab ), Tsingaras (64′ Mitrita), Murg (46′ Biseswar), Augusto, Α.Zivkovic, Colak (64′ Akpom).
Panathinaikos: Brinioli, Sanchez, Schekeveld, Velez, Juankar, Alexandropolos (69′ Ayoub), Ruben, Lundqvist (41′ Vidal), Aitor (80′ Chatzigiovanis), Palacios (80′ Carlitos), Ioannidis (69′ Gacinovic).
