PAOK welcomed Olympiacos for the 3rd matchday of the Stoiximan Super League playoffs, searching for answers after losing the Cup and on a night with a clear "must win". And they found them.
In tonight's match, the "Double-headed Eagle" wasn't just looking for a victory, but a clear reaction in front of their fans.
After all, the margins have narrowed regarding the "battle" for 2nd place, which is not a goal, but a necessity for Razvan Lucescu's "black and whites".
Goals, intensity, but also big gaps
PAOK entered the derby with a goal from a set piece, but paid for their defensive shortcomings and went into halftime at 1-1 against an Olympiacos that threatened early and often.
In the first seconds, a serious mistake by Meïté ignited the defense, with Olympiacos finding a double chance, but PAOK got away with it. Chiquinho did not capitalize on the gift, and the phase ended with Pavlenka's intervention.
The "red and whites" continued in the same vein and in the 5th minute created another big chance. Chiquinho's shot was saved by Pavlenka, while then El Kaabi, from very close range, sent the ball wide. Three clear chances in less than 6 minutes, with PAOK appearing vulnerable.
And yet, the hosts' first substantive response brought the goal. In the 15th minute, from a set piece, Živković took a corner, Olympiacos's defense didn't clear, Tzolakis saved Michailidis's shot, but Jeremejeff was there to tap the ball into the net for 1-0. A phase from PAOK's "arsenal", which once again proved decisive.
The lead changed the balance, but not the rhythm. Olympiacos continued to find spaces and in the 23rd minute missed a one-on-one with El Kaabi. On the other side, PAOK found space on the counter, with Tzolakis impressively stopping Jeremejeff.
The equalizer came in the 30th minute and had been... foretold. Chiquinho crossed from the right and El Kaabi, unchallenged in the center of the defense, headed in from close range to make it 1-1. The phase highlighted PAOK's big problem in the first half, with the gap between Kedziora and Michailidis proving costly.
PAOK scored 2 goals in 10 minutes
Olympiacos started better in the second half as well. PAOK was not performing well on the Toumba pitch; the fear and doubt in all their players' movements were evident.
And yet, against the run of play, the "black and whites" found their second goal. And everything changed.
With 10 minutes into the second half, Konstantelias dribbled inside the penalty area, passed correctly to Živković and the Serb, with a superb shot, sent the ball into Tzolakis's net, making it 2-1.
Andrija Živković continued his amazing tradition against Olympiacos. With tonight's goal, he reached 8 goals and 10 assists in 26 matches against the Piraeus side! Amazing!
Jeremejeff struck again
In the 63rd minute, Pavlenka made the save of the match on Chiquinho's rocket shot, and 2 minutes later, the "Double-headed Eagle" found the back of the net for 3-1!
Konstantelias excellently found Živković inside the penalty area, Olympiacos's defense was completely unbalanced, and PAOK's captain provided the assist to Jeremejeff, who from close range sent it into Tzolakis's net for the second time.
After the 70th minute and two moments when they felt threatened by Olympiacos, PAOK managed to control their lead and secure a much-needed "oxygen" victory, especially after a series of matches where they left the field empty-handed.
MVP: Alexander Jeremejeff with 2 goals was PAOK's best player.
UP TO THE TASK: Giannis Konstantelias, with two good moments, unlocked Olympiacos's defense. Also close behind him was Živković with a goal and an assist against the "red and whites" once again. Pavlenka's interventions were crucial.
THE WEAK LINK: The red and white defense scores below average.
THE BLUNDER: Meïté got PAOK's defense in trouble, not once but twice, at the start of the match. Fortunately for him, his team did not pay for it.
THE REFEREEING: The 1-0 goal incident sparked a great deal of discussion about whether Baba influenced Tzolakis's field of vision or made a move towards the ball. The incident was reviewed by VAR and the goal stood.
PAOK got a much-needed victory, one they had been searching for over the past two months. Ten minutes in the second half and the rising performances of Konstantelias and Živković were enough. From the moment Gelson and Chiquinho faded from the match, Olympiacos found nothing in the game. They paid once again for their defensive mistakes.