PAOK see off Xanthi to edge closer to title
GREEK SUPERLEAGUE - MATCHDAY 26
| Xanthi | 1 - 2 | PAOK |
|---|---|---|
| Almeida 85' |
Oliveira 33' Henrique 67' |
PAOK took another important step towards ending their long wait for a SuperLeague title by defeating Xanthi 2-1 at Pigadia on Sunday evening, a result which will be a perfect birthday present for club owner Ivan Savvidis, who turned 60 earlier this week.
Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage from AGONASport.com!
A first half goal from midfielder Sergio Oliveira and a Pedro Henrique strike gave Razvan Lucescu’s unbeaten champions-elect another solid three-point haul which means they could be in a position to wrap up the title next weekend.
Xanthi battled manfully and grabbed a late consolation goal through Dinis Almeida, but it did not stop PAOK from taking another vital win which moved them 13 points clear of second-placed Olympiacos, who were playing Atromitos later.
THE MATCH
PAOK are scintillatingly close to going the entire SuperLeague season unbeaten en route to picking up their first league crown since 1985, and they began this match with the same hungry appetite they have shown all season.
Xanthi is not a typically easy venue to come to and the home side matched their illustrious Northern neighbors for most of the first half.
The home side did have goalkeeper Zivko Zivkovic to thank for making a superb save after 32 minutes from Polish striker Karol Świderski, who surged through one-on-one only to waste his chance to open the scoring.
PAOK did not have to wait long for a goal though as just one minute later, a piece of magic from Oliveira broke the deadlock, the Portuguese curling a superb free-kick past Zivkovic. The PAOK players celebrated by lifting up a shirt with Savvidis name and 60 on it to mark the club president’s birthday in front of their fans.
The home side responded well and should have pulled level three minutes later, but Almeida’s header from a corner was brilliantly saved by Alexandros Paschalakis in the PAOK goal.
PAOK were still the dominant side in the match into the second half, and it only seemed a matter of time before they would get a crucial second goal to kill off the home side. And surely enough it came after 67 minutes.
Chuba Akpom was the creator, playing a clever pass through for Pedro Henrique, who finished well in off the post past a helpless Zizkovic.
That should have been that but there was still life left in the home side and they battled back to pull a goal back with five minutes left to set up a tense and nervy finish for PAOK through Almeida.
STARTING LINEUPS
Xanthi: 20 Zivkovic (GK), 91 William, 32 Casado, 27 Sylla, 4 Almeida, 9 Kovacevic, 31 Lisgaras, 2 Dyrestam, 11 Khadda, 26 Jedrisek, 30 Meliopoulo
PAOK: 31 Paschalakis (GK), 3 Leo Matos, 5 Varela, 9 Swiderski, 10 Pelkas, 15 Crespo, 20 Vierinha, 26 Oliveira, 28 Shakhov, 90 Henrique, 98 Leo Jaba
HIGHLIGHTS: XANTHI - PAOK
