PAOK pulled off a hard-fought yet invaluable victory away against Panaitolikos, securing a 1-0 win thanks to Mandi Kamara's late goal during the 15th round of the Super League. The match took place at the Agrinio stadium, showcasing how fiercely contested the encounter was.
Right from the whistle, both teams displayed intense determination. Within just two minutes, Panaitolikos had their first chance; goalkeeper Lucas Chaves heroically saved one-on-one against Soleriti. Shortly after, Daniel Lahout threatened with a powerful shot, showcasing the hosts' attacking intentions.
Despite PAOK having control over the match and maintaining possession, the home team surprised everyone by winning a penalty at the 22nd minute. This opportunity arose from Maiđevats being fouled inside the box by Michailidis. Yet, the penalty taken by the unfortunate Maiđevats sailed wide of the post, leaving fans gasping.
The first half continued with the home side, Panaitolikos, gaining momentum. A massive chance came again at the 32nd minute; Lahout found himself close to the goal but couldn’t get past PAOK's Kotarski, who instinctively raised his hand to block the effort. Following this tense exchange, PAOK's Thomas Murgk posed two threats himself — first at the 15th minute and again just before halftime, but Chaves was equal to the task, parrying both attempts.
Moving on to the second half, PAOK appeared more aggressive, pushing forward with intent. Nevertheless, Panaitolikos remained dangerous on the counterattack. A double save from Chaves around the 60-minute mark, denying shots from Otto and Svab, kept the match tense.
With time winding down, both coaching teams made significant substitutions, hoping to break the stalemate. Although PAOK had more of the ball, clear-cut chances were scarce. Zion Zivkovic created suspense when, at the 80th minute, his shot was expertly saved by Chaves.
Finally, just as fans began to wonder if PAOK would leave empty-handed, Kamara delivered the breakthrough. With only three minutes left on the clock, he rose to meet Zivkovic's corner with a powerful header, unlocking Panaitolikos's defense and scoring the game-winning goal, much to the delight of traveling PAOK supporters.
The match ended 1-0, propelling PAOK to 30 points, tying them at the top of the leaderboard with Olympiakos and AEK, both of whom are facing their matches tomorrow.
The match's officiated handling by referee Tsakalidis met with tensions, especially concerning the penalty incident, which left players and fans at both ends questioning decisions made during the game.
After the match, Răzvan Lucescu expressed pride in his players' performance, reflecting on the challenges they faced traveling to Agrinio under adverse weather. He said, "We played a 'final' against Ferencváros. Yesterday we struggled to reach Agrinio due to bad weather conditions..." This statement reflects the physical and mental toll of the season as PAOK navigates through tight fixtures.
On the other side, Panaitolikos' coach, Giannis Petrakis, was equally reflective. "I am very happy with what we've built as a team... We had our chances to score but gave PAOK more control of the match. We deserved more than just the loss," he lamented, acknowledging the competitive nature of the match and the performance delivered by his side.
With this result, both teams reassess their strategies heading forward, with PAOK maintaining momentum and Panaitolikos needing to build upon their competitive displays.
