PAOK couldn’t withstand the challenge in Istanbul, as they suffered a 3-1 defeat against Galatasaray in their UEFA Europa League opener at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium. Despite a strong performance, the reigning Greek champions were unable to secure a positive result.
After a scoreless first half, PAOK was struck by misfortune when Abdul Rahman Baba scored an own goal in the 48th minute.
Yunus Akgün (75′) and Mauro Icardi (90+5′) sealed the victory for the Turkish side, with Giannis Konstantelias briefly equalizing for PAOK in the 67th minute.
Galatasaray, nicknamed “Cim Bom,” started the game aggressively as expected, but PAOK threatened on counterattacks.
Konstantelias (7′), Andrija Živković (9′), and Fedor Chalov (13′) came close to scoring in the early stages.
On the home side, Victor Osimhen missed a header in the opening seconds and Omar Colley’s effort was blocked at the last moment in the 16th minute.
Galatasaray’s offensive surge intensified, with PAOK goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski making critical saves to deny Osimhen’s diagonal shot (25′) and Gabriel Sara’s volley, which failed to find the back of the net despite several attempts (27′, 33′).
The first half ended with high drama, as Akgün narrowly missed the target (43′), Osimhen’s header flew just wide (44′), and Kotarski made a crucial save in a one-on-one situation with Konstantelias during stoppage time.
The second half saw a rapid change in momentum. In the 47th minute, Barış Yılmaz broke free but was denied by Kotarski. From the resulting corner, Osimhen’s header deflected off Baba into PAOK’s net, giving Galatasaray the lead.
The pace of the game quickened, with both teams exchanging chances, but Kotarski managed several key stops, including blocking a close-range shot by Osimhen.
PAOK equalised through Konstantelias in the 67th minute after Živković found Jony Otto, whose cross was initially saved, but Konstantelias slotted the rebound into the corner of the net. However, Galatasaray regained the lead in the 75th minute when Akgün volleyed in a second header inside the box.
In stoppage time, Icardi completed the scoreline with a spectacular strike after a cross from Kerem Demirbay. As a result, Galatasaray secured the 3-1 victory. In their next matches on October 3, Galatasaray will face Riga in Latvia, while PAOK hosts Steaua Bucharest in Thessaloniki.
Lineups:
Galatasaray (Okan Buruk): Güvenç, Ayhan (84′ Jellert), Sanchez, Bardakcı, Jacobs, Sara, Torreira, Yılmaz (88′ Batshuayi), Mertens (78′ Demirbay), Akgün (88′ Kutlu), Osimhen (78′ Icardi).
PAOK (Razvan Lucescu): Kotarski, Otto, Kedziora, Colley, Baba, Ozdoev (77′ Schwab), Camara (81′ Bakayoko), Živković, Konstantelias (77′ Despodov), Tyson, Chalov (71′ Tissoudali).
Tensions rise between PAOK fans and Turkish Authorities
Ahead of the game, Turkish police confiscated Greek flags from over 2,000 PAOK fans who traveled from Thessaloniki and other cities in Macedonia.
The confiscation occurred after a three-hour wait at the border during an initial security check.
At the stadium, Galatasaray fans displayed a banner reading “Since 1453,” referencing the Fall of Constantinople, provoking PAOK supporters.
PAOK also faced backlash on social media after posting a photo captioned “Road to Constantinople” on Instagram, which angered Turkish fans who prefer the city to be referred to as “Istanbul.”
The top Turkish sports website, Fanatik, criticised the Greek club for the reference, sparking further online tensions.
