PAOK and Olympiakos Volou grabbed away wins for the Europa League’s third qualifying round on Thursday to take a clear lead in the contest to make the competition’s playoffs.
PAOK scored a 2-0 triumph at Valerenga for its third victory in as many games. After missing a couple of good chances in the first half, PAOK’s opening goal came in the 71st minute thanks to a solo effort by Adelino Vieirinha who toyed with the Valerenga defenders before chipping the ball into the net. The hosts attempted to apply some pressure thereafter but failed to create any major chances, before PAOK doubled its lead in the last minute of regular time.
Stefanos Athanasiadis earned a free kick from the left that skipper Pablo Garcia took before sending the ball in and rushing to celebrate with the 100 PAOK fans in the stands at the Ullevaal Stadium. Olympiakos Volou shook off the bad news of its relegation to the second division in Greece due to match fixing, and saw off Differdange 3-0 in Luxembourg.
The Volos club had a rather quiet first half but managed to hit the target twice within five minutes in the second. First Maltese midfielder Andre Schembri gave the visitors the lead in the 66th minute as he sealed his individual effort from the left with a lovely chip, and then it was Noe Acosta who got the ball just inside the box and shot successfully past the Differdange keeper in the 71st. One minute from the end substitute Ilias Solakis added the third after a cross by Vicente Monje for Olympiakos Volou’s second victory in Europe in its history.
Both ties’ return legs are in Greece on August 4.