PAOK refuse to lose in Champions League
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - PLAYOFF ROUND (LEG 1)
| Benfica | 1 - 1 | PAOK |
|---|---|---|
| Pizzi (P) 45'+1' | Warda 76' |
PAOK’s unbeaten run in Champions League qualifying continued in Lisbon as the Thessalonikis played to a 1:1 draw with Benfica. A second half strike from Amr Warda canceled out Pizzi’s penalty and the Dikefalos tou Vora will now look to finish the job next week in Thessaloniki.
Having defeated Basel and Spartak Moscow in the previous two phases, PAOK had real confidence coming into the first leg against Benfica, and the Dikefalos tou Vorra started well as Jose Canas fizzed a driven effort inches over the bar and Aleksandar Prijovic lashed wide form a decent position. However, as the match progressed, Benfica started to dominate and had Gedson Fernandes’ goal ruled out for offside early on.
28-year old Portuguese midfielder Pizzi was at the heart of the action, seeing a delicate attempt clip the top of the crossbar and twice missing the target at point blank range. PAOK were living dangerously, and with the first half drawing to a close, the Greeks did eventually concede. Mauricio gave away a cheap penalty when fouling Gedson Fernandes inside the penalty area, allowing Pizzi to slot the resulting spot-kick into the net to give Benfica a deserved lead.
For much of the second half, Benfica continued applying the pressure and forced goalkeeper Alexandros Paschalakis into a number of excellent saves, but with 14 minutes remaining, PAOK suddenly grabbed a vital equaliser. After Fernando Varela’s header from a Dimitris Pelkas free-kick thumped the bar, substitute Amr Warda reacted quickest, cleverly whipping the loose ball beyond the statuesque Odysseas Vlachodimos.
Joao Felix almost gifted Benfica a last-gasp win in the final seconds, but as his low shot dropped the wrong side of the post, PAOK could celebrate a valuable draw in Lisbon which leaves them in pole position for the second leg at home.
The second leg will take place next week in Thessaloniki on Wednesday, August 29th.
