Slick PAOK ease past OFI
GREEK FOOTBALL CUP - ROUND OF 16 (LEG 2)
PAOK, the reigning champions, comfortably qualified for the quarter-finals of the Greek Cup by defeating OFI 4-1 at the Toumba Stadium.
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Already leading 3-0 from the first leg in Heraklion, the second match in Thessaloniki always promised to be a formality, and so it proved as PAOK showed their class to knock four past an OFI side which is visibly low on confidence. The Cretans have not won a game in any competition since December 14.
Lazaros Lamprou scored his first for PAOK since returning from his loan spell in the Netherlands, while Dimitris Pelkas grabbed a brace and Karol Swiderski increased his impressive goal tally for the season.
PAOK have won the past three Greek Cups in a row.
THE MATCH
The Dikefalos tou Vorra immediately set about ending the tie as a contest once and for all, if it wasn’t already in the bag.
In the 12th minute, Lamprou opened the scoring, powering into the penalty area from the right flank and lashing a fierce attempt into the roof of the net.
Not long later, Pelkas made it two, as he calmly converted a spot-kick after Chuba Akpom had drawn a tripping foul.
PAOK were dominant, however, five minutes after conceding the second, OFI got on the board as Nikos Korovesis’ deflected effort flew past Alexandros Paschalakis.
On the brink of the half-time break, Akpom thought that he had got his name on the scoreboard, but his header was ruled out for a foul.
Nevertheless, PAOK would score two more goals in the second half. Two minutes after the restart, Pelkas poked the loose ball over the line, before Swiderski completed the 7-1 aggregate triumph with a neat finish after a flowing move.
Earlier on, Pelkas could have registered a hat trick, but he struck the crossbar.
THE TEAMS
PAOK: Paschalakis, Giannoulis, Varela (Michailidis 74’), Ingason, Rodrigo, Mauricio (Esiti 59’), Douglas Augusto, Stoch (Swiderski 78’), Pelkas, Lamprou, Akpom.
OFI: Whalley, Bolakis, Giannoulis, Nastos, Marinakis, Staikos (Mellado 61’), Korovesis (Braun 46’), Nikokyrakis, Sournakis, Souza Ferreyra (Vaz 83’), Manos.
