PAOK beat Basel to secure slender Champions League advantage
 

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - 2ND QUALIFYING ROUND (LEG 1)

PAOK’s quest to reach the Champions League group stage got off to a solid start on Tuesday as a Jose Canas’ wonder goal and an Aleksandar Prijovic strike gave them a 2-1 win over FC Basel in the first leg of their second qualifying round clash at the Toumba in Thessaloniki. 

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Thirty-one-year-old Spanish midfielder Canas volleyed home a superb long-range strike in the first half, and Prijovic looked to have killed the game off 10 minutes from time before Albian Ajeti headed home a late away goal for the visitors. 

While Razvan Lucescu’s team were unlucky not to keep a clean sheet, PAOK fully deserved a win which still gives them a slight advantage to take with them when they travel to Switzerland in one week’s time for the second leg.

PAOK just about shaded the match on the balance of play at a buzzing Toumba, although Basel may have secured a draw had their finishing been up to scratch in the first half when both the lively Valentin Stocker and Ajeti missed very good chances.

The kick-off was preceded by a touching minute's silence observed for the victims in the deadly forest fires in the greater Athens area on Monday. 

FC Basel, a club who eliminated Manchester United on the way to the last 16 of the competition last season, came into the match low on confidence after losing their first match of the season in league play 2-1 to FC St. Gallen. But they looked far from shaky in the opening exchanges, and after 13 minutes it was the Swiss who created the first opening.

A slick passing move down the left channel ended with Stocker having a clear sight of goal with only Alexandros Paschalakis to beat, but he scuffed his effort poorly wide, much to the relief of the PAOK faithful.

PAOK responded with a sustained period of pressure, winning a flurry of dangerous free-kicks and a couple of corners which lead to Fernando Varela heading over and wide crossbar on two occasions.

PAOK, who finished runners-up last season and won the Greek Cup, began dominating proceedings and on 25 minutes Canas gave a taste of things to come when he surged into the box before drawing a fine save from Basel keeper Jonas Omlin.

Seven minutes later and the PAOK fans were in ecstasy as Canas opened the scoring with a superb volley, beating Omlin with an incredible hit from 30 yards out.

Matos then went close to making it 2-0 four minutes later with a first time low shot after playing a neat one-two with Aleksandar Prijovic on the edge of the Basel penalty area.

Then just as the referee was about to blow the half-time whistle, PAOK had a let-off when a lapse in concentration let in Ajeti, but the Basel striker blazed wastefully over when sent clean through on goal.

The tempo of the match dropped considerably in the second half, and PAOK took full control, creating numerous chances to add to their lead.

First, young winger Dimitris Limnios was denied in the 56th minute by a superb point-blank save by Omlin after a great cross from Vieirinha, and then after 76 minutes Dimitris Pelkas made an impressive burst through the heart of the Basel defence, but his shot sailed harmlessly over the crossbar.

PAOK were finally rewarded for their efforts with a second goal 10 minutes from time. Prijovic started and finished a neat move down the right with winger Limnios, the latter lofting over a perfectly weighted cross for the big Serb to hammer home from inside the penalty area.

Just when it seemed an ideal 2-0 win would be on the cards, PAOK were then guilty of slack marking just two minutes later as Ajeti atoned for his earlier miss to score with a downward header from close range to set up a tense finale.

PAOK held firm to take the win and a slight advantage into next week’s return leg. If they can finish the job in Basel next week, PAOK will meet the winner of the tie facing Spartak Moscow in the third qualifying round. The team that gets eliminated will face either Viitorul or Vitesse in the Europa League third qualifying round.

HIGHLIGHTS: PAOK - BASEL

by: Graham Wood

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