PAOK’s hopes of making the Round of 16 in the UEFA Europa League have taken a massive blow after a demoralising defeat to FCSB in the opening leg of the knockout round play-offs.
The Thessaloniki giants fell 1-2 to the Romanian club at “Toumba” Stadium on Friday morning (AEDT) in the first leg of their tie, with them left to rue a costly red card right before half time that has now put their Europa League campaign under serious threat.
The “white-blacks” took the lead 21 minutes into the match, courtesy of an effort by striker Mbwana Samatta.
The hosts were given a huge disadvantage right at the end of the first half as playmaker Taison received his second yellow (45+4′), putting them a player down for the whole second period.
The visitors pounced on the extra-man advantage five minutes after the break with substitute Andrei Gheorghita scoring to make it 1-1 (50′) before fellow sub Joyskim Dawa put them ahead with a corner header on the hour mark.
PAOK will now have to summon immense strength to overcome the deficit in the return fixture in Bucharest.
Panathinaikos lost 2-1 away to Vikingur Reykjavik in the first leg of their Conference League knockout round play-offs tie, with an injury time strike the only positive outcome as they stay alive in the tie.
The Icelandic outfit opened the scoring in the 12th minute after goalkeeper Yuri Lodygin found himself out of position while attempting to punch the ball, allowing wing back David Orn Atlason to guide it into the net.
The Greens were dealt two further blows in the opening period in the form of injuries to Anastasios Bakasetas and Erik Palmer-Brown, and their night only worsened in the 58th minute when the hosts scored through substitute Matthias Vihjalmsson.
The goal came after a deflected effort went high in the air and ricocheted off the post into the path of Vilhjamsson, who smacked the ball home with Lodygin on the ground after attempting to clear the aerial ball.
The goal was initially flagged for offside in the build-up, but a VAR check overruled that call and awarded the goal (58′).
The one positive of the game for the “Trifylli” came when they were given a late penalty, which captain Fotis Ioannidis slotted into the bottom left (90+1′), crucially reducing the deficit to one heading into next week’s second leg in Athens.
It is all square in the all-Cyprus affair between Omonia and Pafos after they played out a 1-1 draw in Nicosia.
The home outfit went ahead early into the second half, thanks to ex-Pafos winger Willy Semedo’s penalty strike into the bottom right.
The visitors had a chance to score themselves from the spot, though forward Muamer Tankovic’s strike was kept out by goalkeeper Fabiano after correctly diving to his left (73′).
Pafos eventually drew level through recent signing Mislav Orsic’s excellent finish into the bottom right (84′), with the Croatian scoring his debut goal for the club to set up a blockbuster decider next week.
APOEL fought from behind twice to secure a 2-2 away draw with NK Celje, keeping their tie in the balance ahead of the deciding second leg.
The Serbian side went ahead in just the second minute of the clash via striker Armandas Kucys, who squeezed a shot from a very tight angle underneath goalkeeper Vid Belec.
APOEL midfielder David Abagna brought it level around half an hour later (33′) before Kucys restored the hosts’ lead in the 59th minute after knocking in the rebound from his initially saved penalty.
The travellers again equalised, this time through a corner header by defender Kostas Laifis (70′), though any hope of grabbing the win extinguished with the send-off of centre half Lasha Dvali three minutes later.
APOEL now has the chance to seal their place in the Round of 16 in front of their home fans next week.
