Football fans in Thessaloniki witnessed an electric night at Toumba Stadium as PAOK Salonika and Celta Vigo clashed in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League Round of 16 tie on February 19, 2026. The Spanish visitors edged out the Greek hosts 2-1 in a match brimming with intensity, tactical battles, and moments of individual brilliance that kept supporters on the edge of their seats until the final whistle.
Coming into this crucial knockout fixture, both teams had plenty to prove. PAOK, managed by Gianpaolo Castorina for this European campaign, had shown resilience in recent weeks, remaining unbeaten in their previous five matches across all competitions with three wins and two draws. Their latest domestic outing—a goalless draw against AEK Athens—highlighted their defensive solidity but also exposed a slight dip in their attacking edge. In the Europa League, PAOK’s journey through the group phase had been a mixed bag: three wins, three draws, and two defeats were enough to secure 12 points and a 17th-place finish in the overall table. Notably, their home form in Europe had been a source of optimism, with 8 out of 12 possible points collected at the intimidating Toumba Stadium.
On the other side, Celta Vigo, coached by Claudio Giráldez, returned to European competition for the first time since the 2016/17 season. Despite finishing 16th in the group stage with 13 points (four wins, one draw, three losses), their recent form had been shaky—five matches without a win in all competitions, including three draws and two defeats. Yet, history was on their side: the Galicians had already beaten PAOK 3-1 earlier in the group phase and boasted an impressive record against Greek opposition, having won their last four major European away games against teams from Greece by a two-goal margin since 1999.
The match itself was a tactical chess game from the outset. PAOK lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation under Castorina, while Celta Vigo deployed a 3-4-3 system under Giráldez. The early exchanges were cagey, with both sides probing for weaknesses. It was Celta’s talisman, Iago Aspas, who broke the deadlock in the first half, latching onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Miguel Román and finishing with his left foot into the bottom left corner. The Spanish side doubled their advantage before halftime, as Williot Swedberg found space in the center of the box and slotted home with his left foot after being set up by Aspas.
PAOK, however, refused to roll over. Spurred on by a raucous home crowd—Toumba Stadium hasn’t seen a league defeat for over a year—the Greek side regrouped at the break. The second half saw them push forward with greater urgency. Their efforts paid off late in the match when Alexander Jeremejeff, having been a constant threat, finally found the net. He converted a slick through ball from Andrija Zivkovic, firing past Celta’s goalkeeper Ionut Radu to bring PAOK back into contention.
The closing stages were frenetic, with PAOK pressing for an equalizer and Celta looking to exploit spaces on the counter. There were multiple substitutions on both sides as managers sought fresh legs and tactical adjustments. PAOK introduced Giannis Michailidis, Dimitrios Chatsidis, and Abdul Baba, while Celta responded with Matías Vecino, Fer López, Hugo Álvarez, Javi Rueda, and Ferran Jutglà. The match was punctuated by a series of fouls, yellow cards—including bookings for Andrija Zivkovic and Hugo Álvarez—and several near misses. Antonis Tsiftsis, PAOK’s goalkeeper, was called into action repeatedly, making crucial saves to keep his side’s hopes alive.
Statistically, Celta Vigo edged the contest in key attacking metrics. They registered nine shots (eight on target) compared to PAOK’s five (two on target) and enjoyed 21 touches inside the opposition box, highlighting their incisiveness in the final third. PAOK, for their part, demonstrated composure in possession, completing 568 passes at an 89.1% accuracy rate—outperforming Celta’s 434 passes at 85.9%. Both teams were evenly matched in aerial duels and corners, with three each, but Celta’s defensive resilience shone through as they made 32 clearances to PAOK’s 11.
The officials—referee Ivan Kruzliak, assisted by Branislav Hancko and Jan Pozor, with Pawel Malec as Video Assistant Referee—had their work cut out as the contest grew increasingly physical, especially in the second half. Five minutes of added time in the second period saw PAOK throw everything forward, but Celta’s backline held firm.
Individual performances were also under the spotlight. Iago Aspas once again proved why he’s regarded as one of Spain’s most reliable forwards in European competition, while Williot Swedberg’s goal capped a dynamic display in attack. For PAOK, Jeremejeff’s persistence paid dividends, and Zivkovic’s creativity was instrumental in unlocking the Celta defense. Tsiftsis, despite conceding twice, made several crucial stops to prevent the deficit from growing larger.
Beyond the result, the match extended PAOK’s unenviable record: they have now failed to win a knockout match in the UEFA Europa League or UEFA Cup in their last 17 attempts, a streak stretching back to a 3-0 away win at Lyn in October 2003. Celta, meanwhile, continued their impressive run in away knockout games, remaining unbeaten in their last five such fixtures in major European competition.
For fans around the world, the match was accessible through a variety of broadcasters: Sony Liv in India, Paramount+ and CBS Sports in the USA, TNT Sports and Amazon Prime in the UK, DAZN in Canada, Stan Sports in Australia, and TNT Sports and SBT in Brazil. The global reach of the Europa League was fully on display, with supporters tuning in from every corner of the footballing world.
As the dust settles on this first leg, Celta Vigo take a slender yet valuable advantage back to Spain. But with PAOK’s formidable home record and their fighting spirit on full display, the tie remains far from decided. The return leg in Vigo promises plenty of drama as both sides look to book their place in the Europa League quarterfinals. The battle is far from over—expect fireworks when these two meet again.