Resurgent PAOK get a crucial win
PAOK showed character at the Toumba Stadium, handled a difficult game perfectly and managed to achieve a great 3-1 victory over Olympiacos on Matchday 3 of the 2025-26 Stoiximan Super League Play Offs.
Razvan Lucescu lined up his team with Pavlenka between the posts, Baba, Kedziora, Michailidis and Kenny in the defensive line, Meite and Zafeiris in the central midfield positions, with Konstantelias in front of them, and a trio in the attack featuring Taison, A. Zivkovic and Jeremejeff.
Olympiacos started the game with the intention of springing an early surprise, but PAOK’s defence and especially Jiri Pavlenka had the answers to the questions posed. From the sixth minute onwards, the home side upped their game, and with the completion of a quarter of an hour, took the lead. Andrija Zivkovic took a corner kick, Michailidis got a shot in and was denied by Tzolakis, but Jeremejeff was there to score on the rebound and make it 1-0.
In the 24th minute, PAOK had a great chance to gor 2-0 up, but Tzolakis saved from a one-on-one chance to deny Jeremejeff, after the Swede had latched on to an excellent through ball from Taison. In the 29th minute, Olympiacos found a response. After working the ball from left to right, Chiquinho crossed for El Kaabi who scored with a low, stooping header to make it 1-1.
In the second half, PAOK came out looking much better and in the 55th minute, they managed to take the lead again. Konstantelias produced a wonderful piece of play to assist A. Zivkovic, and the captain scored with a flawlessly placed, low finish to make it 2-1.
The visitors tried to react, but in the 63rd minute Pavlenka made an incredible intervention on a shot by Chiquinho and kept the confidence of his teammates unshakeable, who two minutes later, essentially sealed the three points. Konstantelias again produced an incredible pass to A. Zivkovic from the left, and the Serb crossed for Jeremejeff and the Swede made it 3-1 with a cool finish.
The two coaches shuffled their decks, but the score remained unchanged until the final whistle, with PAOK celebrating an important victory.
Team lineups:
PAOK: Pavlenka, Kenny, Kedziora, Michailidis, Baba, Meite (77′ Ozdoev), Zafeiris, Konstantelias (86′ Ivanusec), Taison (77′ Pelkas), A. Zivkovic, Jeremejeff (86′ Mythou).
Olympiacos: Tzolakis, Costinha, Ortega, Retsos (90′ Biancone), Pirola, Garcia (71′ Mouzakitis), Ezze, Rodinei (71′ Podence), Chiquinho (90′ Taremi), Gelson (81′ Luis), El Kaabi.
