PAOK – Olympiakos 2-3: Legend in Tomba!

Great victory of Olympiakos in Toumba! The Red and Whites defeated PAOK 3-2 for the 11th matchday of the Super League and climbed to the top of the standings with 21 points, the same as AEK and Aris.

The Piraeus scored once in the first half with Kostoulas (32′) and twice in the second half with El Kaabi (59′) and Martins (69′), while they had opportunities to score even more goals. The Black and Whites had reduced the score to 1-2 with Baba in the 59th minute and to 2-3 with an own goal by Karmos in the 81st minute.

PAOK entered the game better and threatened twice in the first quarter (6′, 8′), with Despodov and Thomas respectively, but the shots they made went wide.

After the 10th minute, Olympiacos started to pick up the pace and make one chance after another. In the 16th minute, Kostoulas came close to scoring, but Kotarski impressively saved the young striker’s header after Zelson Martins’ cross.

In the 24th minute, Kostoulas shot from the height of the large area, but the ball went wide. A minute later El Kaabi headed wide after Lovren’s mistake, but Kotarski made an instinctive save. In the 27th minute, Kostoulas tried to find El Kaabi with a heel, but Otto caught up with the Moroccan at the last moment.

Olympiakos’ pressure paid off in the 32nd minute, with Kostoula making it 1-0 for Piraeus. After a cross from Tsiquinios, the young striker found himself on the back of the PAOK defense and gave Olympiakos the lead with a wonderful header.

After the goal, the tempo of the game dropped noticeably, with PAOK threatening in the 44th minute with Zivkovic, but the shot made by the Serb from the right went over Tzolakis’ goal, with the first half ending with Olympiakos in front of score.

Before the start of the second half Lucescu made a triple change, with Constantia, Kamara and Tisundali replacing Tomas, Despontov and Bakayoko. The Romanian made the changes to improve his team, but in the 50′ Olympiacos scored a second goal through El Kaabi. Zelson Martins crossed from the left and the Moroccan forward volleyed past Kotarski to make it 2-0 to Piraeus. Nine minutes later, PAOK reduced the score to 1-2 with Baba’s place kick from inside the area, after an effort by Constantelia.

In the 65th minute, Medilibar threw Ese and Masoura into the match instead of Mouzakiti and Kostoula. In the 70th minute, Olympiacos made it 3-1 with Zelson Martins. The Red and Whites came out quickly on the counter, Cikinho made the pass to Gelson Martins, he came out four-four with Kotarski and “executed” him for the 3-1 Olympiakos.

Five minutes later (75′) the Red and Whites scored again, but Masura’s goal was disallowed for offside. Instead, PAOK managed to reduce the score to 2-3 with an own goal by Karmos in the 81st minute, after Zivkovic turned in from the right. Nothing changed in the remaining minutes, with Olympiakos winning 3-2 and taking the top spot.

THE KEY TO THE MATCH:

Olympiacos managed the game perfectly in the second half. He took advantage of the empty spaces, beat the slow PAOK defense and achieved a great victory.

CHANGE THE MATCH:

Gelson Martins was excellent. A constant danger for PAOK’s defense in the first half, he had the assist in the 0-2 of El Kaabi and scored the 1-3 of Olympiakos.

PAOK’s defense. The Black and Whites had huge problems in the defensive part. Both in the first half, especially Otto from Gelson Martins, and in the second, when he was forced to go forward to find a goal. The Red and Whites took full advantage and reached victory.

The German referee, Sven Jablonski, did not have a difficult phase.

Pearl Ginder didn’t have to intervene.

Baba 59′, auto. Karmo 81′ – Kostoulas 32′, El Kaabi 50′, Martins 69′

ELEVEN:

PAOK (Razvan Lucescu): Kotarski, Otto, Lovren, Koley, Baba, Bakayoko (46′ Kamara), Ozdoev (74′ Schwab), Zivkovic, Tyson (78′ Chalov), Despotov (46′ Constantelias), Brandon (46′ Tisundali).

Olympiakos (Jose Luis Mediliber): Tzolakis, Pirola (84′ Apostolopoulos), Karmo, Retso, Costinia, Mouzakitis (64′ Ese), Garthia (74′ Stamenic), Martins, Tsikinio, Kostoulas (64′ Masouras), El Kaabi.

NEXT COMPETITION OF THE OPPONENTS:

Olympiacos – AEK (24/11, 20:30) – Asteras Tripoli – PAOK (24/11, 19:30).