AEK held by 10-man PAOK
 

GREEK SUPERLEAGUE - MATCHDAY 19

PAOK remain unbeaten in the SuperLeague after they held AEK to a 1-1 draw in an absorbing derby clash at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday in a match which saw the league leaders reduced to 10 men.

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Mauricio’s 10th-minute opener gave PAOK the lead in a tense opening, but then Razvan Lucescu’s team were dealt a bitter blow just after the half-hour when winger Leo Jaba was red-carded for picking up a second yellow card.

That gave AEK a huge opportunity but apart from Ezequiel Ponce’s headed equaliser in the 74th minute, Marinos Ouzounidis’ players failed to capitalise on having an extra player for nearly an hour.

The result means that PAOK’s lead at the top ahead of second-placed Olympiacos is now just six points, while AEK are a further 10 points behind the Thrylos in third place.

THE MATCH

Both teams came into this highly-anticipated clash between last year’s reigning champions and runners-up in a rich vein of form, AEK having won four out of four since the turn of the year while PAOK were unbeaten since the start of the season.

The home side showed their attacking intent early on with Croatian striker Marko Livaja stinging the palms of Alexandros Paschalakis in the PAOK goal with a powerful shot from just outside the penalty area.

PAOK responded with a spell of pressure which brought their first corner of the match, and with it the opening goal.

Omar El Kaddouri’s flag-kick was headed back across goal by Fernando Varela, and Mauricio was on hand to nod the ball home from close range in the 10th minute with AEK goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas unable to stop it.

AEK did not panic despite going behind, and they should have been given the opportunity to draw level when PAOK’s Ukrainian midfielder Yevhen Shakhov handled the ball in the penalty area after 21 minutes. Danish referee Mikael Thinggaard waved play on, much to the frustrations of AEK’s players, and replays showed that their protests were justified.

In the 32nd minute AEK were handed an advantage when PAOK winger Leo Jaba was sent-off. The Braziian was booked for the second time for an overzealous challenge on AEK full-back Niklas Hult as he shaped to cross into the box.

That gave AEK the platform to get back back into the game, and the Kitrinomavri set about trying to do just that, controlling most of the possession up until half-time as they searched for an equaliser.

There was a chance for a goal just before half-time when Petros Mantalos whipped in a cross, but Paschalakis made a fine double save to deny Marko Livaja from close range.

Despite AEK’s numerical advantage, Ouzounidis’ players struggled to trouble the PAOK backline, and as the second half wore on the home crowd began to get impatient.

Then, with 15 minutes to play, AEK finally got their equaliser and it came from the head of Ponce. The Argentine continued his rich vein of scoring form in style, rising to meet a superb cross from Livaja and glance the ball into the bottom left corner past the dive of Paschalakis.

AEK pushed hard to try and find a winning goal and it was backs-to-the-wall defending at times from PAOK, but the visitors managed to keep the home side at bay and it ended all square.

STARTING LINEUPS

AEK: 1 Barkas (GK), 2 Bakakis, 19 Chygrynsky, 4 Oikonomou, 12 Galo, 23 Hult, 14 Bakasetas, 20 Mantalos, 95 Alef, 10 Livaja, 22 Ponce

PAOK: 31 Paschalakis (GK), 20 Vierinha, 3 Leo Matos, 15 Crespo, 5 Varela, 28 Shakhov, 8 Mauricio, 7 Omar, 98 Jaba, 21 Biseswar, 47 Akpom

HIGHLIGHTS: AEK - PAOK

by Graham Wood

Image Source: sportfm.gr

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