PAOK was poor in the first half and in the second half all they managed to do was equalize in the 100′ with Schwab, after they had missed four great opportunities, along with valuable ground in the battle for the title.
Fifteen games “inside out” o PAOK only counted wins against Ghoul. However, for everything there is an end, like the one his team put on Leonida Vokolou who played with spirit against a downtrodden opponent and came very close to victory. The draw looks like… a loss for “Two-Headed” at the most crucial turning point in the title fight.
PAOK started with seven changes
PAOK made seven changes to its starting line-up, as Razvan Lucescu had to manage the fatigue of some key players (Baba, Koulierakis, Meite, Tyson) having in mind the derby with AEK next on the schedule next Sunday (28 /4) at the stadium of Toumba.
Marcos Antonio returned to the lineup, as did Rafa Soares, after four games, at the left end of the defense, the same was true for Giannis Michaelidis, while his namesake, Giannis Constantelias, returned to the lineup having overcome the problem with the virus that afflicted him in the previous period.
Under the posts was Kotarski with a foursome in defense of Sastre, Kenziora, Michaelidis and Rafa Soares. Schwab – Ozdoev started in the midfield, with Marcos Antonio in front of them and Constantelia – Despodov at the ends of the attacking triplet. Ali Samata returned to the top.
With four changes in relation to the game against Panathinaikos, one of them of Tsiloulis who was declared in the original formation, tried before the cross and finally stayed on the bench, Lamia started the match, with Leonidas Vokolos giving the starting shirt for the first time time to the young Kontonikos.
The suspended Adam Tzanetopoulos, who has completed cards, was also left out.
The good PAOK continued to be… ignored
With 15/15 wins against Lamia, “Two-Headed” went down to the playing field of “Ath. Diakos” aiming to extend his impressive streak, but also to return to winning results, after the two defeats by Club Brugge in the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League and the defeat by Olympiakos last Sunday (21/4) at “Georgios Karaiskakis”.
However, the first 45 minutes (un)showed that PAOK remains in a bad situation. It wasn’t just the goal that the “black and white” conceded from Slivka in the fourth minute of stoppage time, their overall image was bad.
In the grass of “Ath. Diakos” appeared an unnerved team, with no tension in their game, a team that believed they would get the three points just by wearing their shirt. The first twenty minutes passed with a single suspicious phase for the visitors, a shot by Despontov, which collided with the bodies of the defenders, a little later a won second ball, which always gives something more, from Sastre and the Spanish full-back’s cross brought the opportunity with Ozdoev threatening with a header, as did Kenziora from a set piece in the first minute of stoppage time.
With their backs against the wall and… players down on the grass
Slivka’s goal with a shot from close range after the PAOK defenders were stymied and Maltsi’s excellent takedown of the ball put the visitors with their backs against the wall.
The question was whether there were reaction reserves in the “black and white” tank. Not only were there no reserves, but the image of the “Two-Headed” remained as problematic throughout the second half, despite Lucescu’s collected changes.
The “black and white” were not mentally ready to handle the very good defensive presence of the Lamia players, who from the middle of the second half started to fall one after the other on the grass.
Katsikogiannis rightly indicated ten minutes of stoppage time, with PAOK finding the equalizer in the 99th minute with Schwab’s header, but even that was not enough to bring the turnaround they were desperately and misguidedly looking for.
MVP: Apart from the goal, Slivka was everywhere “present” until he was betrayed by the powers that be.
IN HIS HEIGHT: Great game from Lamia’s defenders, Giannucci, Sidkley, but also Zandaris.
THE WEAK LINK: The entire PAOK was a… weak link. The one who crossed the line was the defiant Ozdoev who was walking on the pitch throughout the match.
The blunder: Childish reaction of the “black and white” defense in the 1-0 phase by Slivkas.
THE STRAGALI: Alexandros Katsikogiannis (EPS Epirus) correctly dismissed Amaral, as the Lamia footballer abused him (it was clearly seen on camera) after a foul was awarded. Dismissal with a second yellow for Slivkas on the bench.
THE GAZZETTA FUND: Olympiacos, AEK and Panathinaikos paraded from Lamia, but not the problematic, bad, unprepared and unnerved PAOK, who managed, because it is an achievement, to leave two valuable points to “Ath. Diakos” against an indifferent team from which he had never lost points until today.
Lamia (Leonidas Vokolos): Koselev, Simon, Kornezos (46′ Stanko), Giannoutsos, Sidkley (76′ Amaral), Nunes, Zandaris, Martinez (75′ Lake), Slivka (86′ Tereziou), Kontonikos (69′ Tosic), Malci.
PAOK (Razvan Lucescu): Kotarski, Sastre (69′ Otto), Michailidis, Kenziora, Rafa Soares (56′ Bamba), Schwab, Ozdoev (75′ Murg), Marcos Antonio, Constantelias (56′ Tyson), Despodov, Samata (56′ Thomas)
