A great and terrible PAOK, a spirited PAOK, a magical PAOK! With balls… he treated Dinamo Zagreb 5-0 in the burning Tuba and got the ticket for the quarter-finals of the Conference League.
Razvan Lucescu’s armada pulled off a major upset as they overcame the Croatians 5-1, overturning 2-0 at Maksimir. Dikephalos, playing terrible football, celebrated a historic qualification!
The draw for the quarter-finals of the Conference League (crossovers to the OPAP Arena final will also be made) will take place at midday on Friday (15/3, 15.00) in Nyon, Switzerland.
In a performance straight out of their friends’ wildest dreams, PAOK demolished Dinamo Zagreb 5-1, overturned a 2-0 deficit in the Croatian capital and celebrated in an ecstatic Tuba with historic progress to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Abdul Rahman Baba (27′), Petar Sucic (33′ auto), Brandon Thomas (42′), Konstantinos Koulierakis (73′) and Andrija Živkovic (88′ pen.) the goals for Razvan Lucescu’s team, with Arber Hoxha (49′) brings the pair to balance at the start of the second half – for a moment.
After a first five minutes in which Tomas twice tried to look threatening, the Croatians leveled the match, but without making any phase. The “black and white” scored in the 15th minute, when after a foul by Zivkovic, Koulierakis took the nailed header, but on the line, Ivan Nevistić cleared the ball for a corner. Four minutes later, it was Zivkovic’s turn, following a combination with Tyson, to fire a left-footed shot over the crossbar from the height of the penalty area.
The hosts continued to press and in the 23rd minute, from another Živković cross, Koulierakis’ (new) header went past the left post of Nevistić’s goal. PAOK’s pressure finally paid off in the 27th minute. Zivkovic in the corner, first header by Koulierakis, with Baba opening the scoring from close range.
That was it… Taking advantage of the momentum, Razvan Lucescu’s team reached a second goal in the 33rd minute, albeit with a fair amount of luck.
Koulierakis, who had stayed in front for a corner, tried his left from 20 meters, the ball went against Sucic and rested in the right corner of Nevistic for 2-0 – perfect balance for the pair. Dynamo changed tactics and came close to scoring in the 37th minute, with Dominik Kotarski blocking Bruno Petkovic’s shot from the sideline with a second attempt. PAOK’s crescendo ended in the 42nd minute, with Tyson making the cross and Tomas with a header at the back post to make it 3-0.
From euphoria at the end of the first part, to anxiety at the beginning of the second. Hoxha latched onto the ball from Mauro Perkovic’s set-piece and beat Kotarski to make it 3-1 – new balance for the pair.
However, the Croatian goalkeeper of PAOK performed a great operation with his right foot in an unrepeatable four-a-four created, but also wasted, by Dario Spikić in the 53rd minute. With the hour mark, it was Martin Baturina’s turn to threaten from the semi-circle of the box, but his attempted shot was deflected and went over for a corner.
The 21-year-old Dynamo midfielder produced a terrific individual effort in the 64th minute to feed Sucic, but his volley was impressively cleared for a corner by Kotarski. To reach the 72nd minute, with PAOK finding a fourth goal, against the flow of the match. From a corner kick by Kirill Despontov, the guests were inactive and from the height of the small area Koulierakis sent the ball into the net with his chest for 4-1.
In the 80th minute, everyone’s hearts were broken, as Kotarski punched home a free-kick from Baturina, with the ball ending up in the net after taking on Bruno Petkovic who, however, had used his hands. Two minutes later, PAOK grabbed the fifth goal, with Thomas Murg desperately missing from the penalty spot after Despontov’s superb effort. Again, however, it took Kotarski in the 85th minute to make a difficult save from Josip Misic’s shot
The former PAOK ace was the one, however, who in the 85th minute overthrew Despodov inside the area, after a nice pass from Ali Samata. Živkovic converted the last of the penalties to make the final 5-1, sending PAOK into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League in resounding fashion, completing a historic upset.
Tomorrow (15/3) at 15:00, the “black and white” will find out their opponent in the “8”, with an eye on the final at the OPAP Arena.
Referee: Harm Osmers (Germany)
Yellow: Koulierakis – Baturina, Misic, Ogivara.
The compositions:
PAOK (Razvan Lucescu): Kotarski, Vieirinia (78′ Otto), Koulierakis, Kenziora, Baba, Meite, Schwab (81′ Ozdoev), A. Zivkovic, Constantelias (78′ Murg), Tyson (67′ Despodov), Brandon (77 ‘ Samata).
DINAM ZAGREB (Sergei Jakirovic): Nevistic, Ristovski, Bernauer, Teofil-Katrin, Perkovic (80′ Ogiwara), Misic, Sucic (80′ Kulenovic), Spikic (74′ Kaneko), Baturina, Hoxha (80′ Vidovic), Petkovic.
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#Dinamo #Zagreb #Epic #upset #TwoHeaded