Greece will have four teams in the group stage of Europe’s club competitions this season after PAOK secured their position in the Europa Conference League, with Olympiacos also succeeding in their mission of qualifying for the Europa League.
The Piraeus outfit defeated FK Cukaricki Belgrade 0-3 away in the second leg of their play-offs tie on Friday morning, 6-1 on aggregate, to join AEK and Panathinaikos in the Europa League group stage.
Winger Georgios Masouras opened the scoring in the 34th minute before fellow wide player Pep Biel made it two with a lovely finish that went between the keeper and the right post (45′).
Centre half Panagiotis Retsos found the match’s final goal with a well-worked corner header into the left side of the net (52′).
Greece now is equal with England and France as having the most teams in the Europa League group stage (three).
PAOK, meanwhile, secured themselves of European football with a 4-0 drubbing of Hearts of Midlothian at “Toumba” Stadium in their Europa Conference League (ECL) match, taking the tie 6-1 on aggregate.
The Thessaloniki side went ahead after an incredibly clever free kick by forward Taison from a tight angle just outside the left side of the box, drilling it low and straight to put it into the bottom right corner (16′).
Striker Brandon Thomas then doubled their lead after striking the ball from close range behind himself and into the right side of the goal (23′).
PAOK’s young playmaker Giannis Konstantelias scored next with a tap-in (57′) before Taison finished off a one-on-one chance to earn his second of the night and bury the result (71′).
Aris Limassol will be the only Cypriot team in Europe this season after they dismantled SK Slovan Bratislava 6-2 at home (7-4 on aggregate) to reach the Europa League group stage.
The Cypriot champions had a dominant first half that saw them go 3-1 ahead, with midfielders Yannick Gomis (21′, 45+7′) and Julius Szoke (24′) scoring to counter the visitors’ goal found by striker David Strelec (37′).
Gomis completed his hat-trick in the second period (51′) before teammates Mihlali Mayambela (66′) and Morgan Brown (72′) put the result beyond doubt, with substitute Tigran Barsegyan giving the Slovakian side a late consolation (88′).
APOEL failed to advance to the ECL group stage after losing 1-2 at home to KAA Gent in the second leg of the play-off tie, falling 4-1 on aggregate to get knocked out of Europe.
The Belgian side went in front through a strike from midfielder Matisse Samoise (29′), with VAR awarding the goal after it was first thought to have been an offside during the build-up.
Gent substitute Tarik Tissoudali then booked his team’s place in the ECL after lifting the ball just over the diving goalkeeper, Vid Belec, from a central position inside the box (79′).
The Nicosia club did earn a consolation goal in the dying moments of the match after goalkeeper Davy Roef fumbled an attempted catch from a corner, with the ball travelling past the goal line in the process (90+5′).
