Prijovic who? Free scoring PAOK continue to breathe fire
Prijovic who? Free scoring PAOK continue to breathe fire
Following the departure of Serbian hitman Aleksandar Prijovic to Al Ittihad, many began to question whether PAOK could continue their amazing form heading into 2019 and the second half of the season. Prijovic was undeniably a talisman for the Thessaloniki club, showcasing his quality by being able to score all kinds of goals. Last season’s leading scorer picked up from where he left off and had already found the back of the net on nine occasions in the league before leaving.
As a result, many (and possibly rightly so) began to question PAOK’s title credentials. However, so far the Dikefalos tou Vorra have been a mockery of any suggestions they will slip. Since Prijovic has left, the team has remarkably picked up their form. They are now scoring more freely than ever with massive wins over Asteras Tripolis (0-3 away), Panionios (3-0), Panachaiki in the Greek Cup (5-0) and OFI (4-0), before notching a late winner to beat PAS Giannina 2-1 to remain undefeated for the entire Greek Super League season to date.
Conversely, in the last six league matches with Prijovic in the team, they never managed to score three goals or more - Atromitos (1-1), Panetolikos (2-1), Xanthi (2-0), Lamia (0-1 away), Larissa (2-1), and Levadiakos (1-2 away).
Under the expert guidance of Razvan Lucescu, the team has grown and added new dimensions to their style of play. There was never an over-reliance on Prijovic and without a classic centre forward, other squad members have stepped up when given more playing time.
Chuba Akpom is the one who has stolen the show so far and has now reached 4 league goals. His pace and acceleration offers something totally different from Prijovic and it has given the team a new dimension. However, the scoring has been fairly evenly shared around, which is vital for any team that harbours ambitions of winning the title, things appear to be settled and everyone knows their role.
PAOK have scored 17 goals in five games in all competitions since Prijovic has left, averaging a whopping 3.4 goals per game. Amongst this, the aforementioned Akpom has two goals, as does captain Vieirinha and Matos, whilst Jaba has three, Shakhov, Biseswar, Mauricio, Limnios, Pelkas, and new signing Swiderski all have one goal.
Furthermore, the club has strengthened courtesy of the January signings of Icelandic international defender Sverrir Ingi Ingason and young Polish striker Karol Swiderski, who will gradually be integrated into the first team in an attempt to have that classic number nine.
Interestingly, Lucescu did not look to recall the most in-form Greek striker in Efthimis Koulouris, who is enjoying a breakout season with Atromitos. This highlights there is no fear and panic amongst the PAOK ranks as Koulouris can continue to remain focused at Atromitos for the rest of the season, knowing he will play practically every match and return to Thessaloniki in the summer to nail down a spot in the first team.
Life without Prijovic has been a breeze so far, but the next two matches will go a long way to determining their fate as they travel south to Athens to face a rejuvenated AEK and then return home to host a buoyant Olympiacos. If the team can keep the same composure and confidence in front of goal, they will be on a good path to claiming that illusive championship title, something that has haunted the club since 1985.
by Nick Tsambouniaris
Image Source: gazzetta.gr
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