PAOK seize aggregate advantage on Olympiacos

By: Peter Katsiris | February 6th, 2009

PAOK took the first step towards a berth in the semi-finals of the Greek Cup with a slim, yet convincing, 1-0 win over rivals and Super League leaders Olympiacos on Wednesday. Sergio Conceicao pounced on an error by Olympiacos’ backline, and the Portuguese midfielder sent the Thessaloniki-based side on its way in a highly competitive affair in Greece’s second largest city.

With plenty of injuries plaguing both sides, both sides were forced to sacrifice some of their regulars due to injuries. Ernesto Valverde had the heftier absentee list, as the Spaniard had no choice but to send a makeshift Olympiacos squad to the Toumba Stadium. With the likes of Luciano Galletti, Sebastian Leto, and Diogo all ruled out, the Greek Champions were tipped to struggle in Greece’s northern metropolis. Fernando Santos, meanwhile, only had to accommodate for the gaps left by Bosnian striker Zlatan Muslilovic, and defender Joe Bizera.

After meeting back in mid-November, in what was a fierce encounter between the top two sides in the Super League, Olympiacos emerged 2-0 winners at the Giorgos Karaiskakis Stadium. Aiming to level the score PAOK looked to cash-in on home advantage and take an early lead in the quarterfinal tie, as the ‘Dikefale tou Vorra’ came out soaring to start the Athens-Thessaloniki derby.

Vladimir Ivic was the first to test Olympiacos ‘keeper Antonis Nikopolidis; drilling a shot towards the former Greece international, but the effort lacked conviction and was easy work for the Greek shot stopper.

Three minutes later, Nikopolidis relied on his woodwork to bail him out. Winter signing Lino looked to put his side ahead off a free-kick, but the effort instead smashed off the post.

The opening ten minutes were a change of sorts for Olympiacos, as they were the ones usually dictating the run of play in the opening minutes of the most recent fixtures for the visitors. PAOK had quickly turned the tables, but a stroke of bad luck allowed for the score to remain level.

With PAOK asserting a strong grip on the game, it took Olympiacos about twenty-five minutes to register its first meaningful chance of the match. Brazilian midfielder Dudu released Olympiacos’ first shot of the match, but the effort was put to waste as Kostas Chalkias comfortably made his first save of the match.

While Dudu took great strides to initiate Olympiacos’ slow starting offense, a tragic error between the former CSKA Moscow man and defender Michal Zewlakow allowed PAOK to creep towards a stranded Nikopolidis. Dudu’s attempt to make a back pass to Polish fullback Zewlakow failed miserably, allowing Segio Conceicao to take advantage and place a chipped effort from outside the box past an out of position Nikopolidis.

A lapse in judgement by Dudu cost the defending Cup Champions dearly, as PAOK’s loyal supporters broke out in pandemonium just before the half-hour mark.

Looking to redeem himself after his prior blunder, Dudu again was the center of Olympiacos’ progress into PAOK’s zone, but there was no satisfactory finish for Olympiacos fans. Dudu’s long ranged strike was redirected by Vasilis Torosidis, yet the latter was unable to direct the effort into the back of the net.

A last gasp effort ahead of the interval saw Olympiacos earn a free-kick from just outside the PAOK box. Though the strike was accurate, Chalkias made a routine save to keep PAOK in the lead after forty-five minutes.

Olympiacos showed signs of desperation shortly after the restart, with Valverde’s men pushing hard for an equalizer early in the second frame.

A rapid rush into PAOK’s territory saw the visitors earn yet another free-kick, and Predrag Djordjevic’s curling cross towards Dudu was nearly tucked away for an equalizer until Chalkias made another fine save to keep his side’s 1-0 advantage intact.

The ensuing corner allowed for another chance to level the game, but Belluschi’s corner was met by a misguided Zewlakow, who sent his aerial effort up and over the crossbar.

With nearly an hour gone now, PAOK looked to stamp a firm lead on fifty-nine minutes. The hosts nearly extended their lead with Olivier Sorlin flashing a header to the far post, but an alert Dudu denied the on-loan Frenchman of a tally as he blocked the effort to force nothing but a corner.

Holding a crucial, yet slim advantage over one of the Super League’s most lethal clubs, PAOK was comfortable to tie up the main arteries in the ‘Erythrolefki’ attack. Frustrating the forward line, Valverde’s reshuffling through the latter stages of the game didn’t result in an Olympiacos marker on the scoreboard.

There was more notable effort for either side, with the first coming in favour of Olympiacos. Giorgos Galitsios provided a cross for legendary Olympiacos midfielder Predrag Djordjevic, yet the Serb was unable to provide for his club as his effort was easily confronted by Chalkias.

PAOK’s final try for another tally didn’t come until the late stages of the encounter, but youngster Stefanos Athanasiadis couldn’t muster his effort efficiently after a cross from Pablo Garcia was played on towards the Greek starlet by Lino.

With the final whistle, the second leg became a crucial element for Olympiacos’ bid to keep pace fpor yet another domestic double. A goal has seen ‘O Thrylos’ topple AEK on the weekend, but a bit of their own tonic was displayed PAOK who will take their narrow advantage to Piraeus in a month’s time.

The busy trek continues for both clubs this weekend, with Olympiacos travelling to Komotini to face surprise package Panthrakikos on Saturday. A day later PAOK jet to Athens where a crucial fixture with Panathinaikos offers plenty of intrigue in the Greek capital, as both sides lock horns to settle second place in the Super League.

PAOK FC 1-0 Olympiacos CFP

Conceicao 29′

Yellow Cards:

PAOK FC – Sorlin 45′, Anastasakos 45 + 1′, Garcia 62′, Balafas 65′, Darlas 67′, Veron 69′.

Olympiacos CFP – A. Papadopoulos 33′, Galitsios 35′, Djordjevic 67′, Patsatzoglou 70′, Dudu 86′, Torosidis 87′.

PAOK FC (Fernando Santos): Chalkias, Marcos Antonio, Darlas, Contreras, Lino (90 + 2′ Balafas), Arambatzis, Garcia, Conceicao, Ivic (40′ Veron), Sorlin, Anastasakos (79′ Athanasiadis).

Olympiacos CFP (Ernesto Valverde): Nikopolidis, Patsatzoglou, Galitsios (80′ Oscar), Zewlakow, A. Papadopoulos, Pantos, Torosidis, Djordjevic (76′ Leonardo), Dudu, Belluschi, Mitroglou (61′ Derbyshire).

Referee: Anastasios Kakos

Venue: Toumba Stadium, Thessaloniki, Greece