On 5 October, one of the matches of the Conference League in football took place. PAOK (Thessaloniki) and Eintracht (Germany) met.
Conference League
PAOK (Thessaloniki) - Eintracht (Germany) - 2:1 (1:0)
Goals: Zivkovic (28), Konstantinos Koulierakis (90+2) - Omar Marmoush (68).
Warnings: N. Nkounkou (43), Meite (90+4)
PAOK scored a thrilling victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in a much-anticipated UEFA Europa League Conference match played at the Toumbas Stadium. The score was 1-0 in favour of PAOK at half-time, but in the end the Greek team prevailed 2-1. The start of the game was characterised by skill and determination from both teams. Only in the 16th minute PAOK managed to score a goal, but unfortunately it was cancelled because M. Samatta was offside. This circumstance only fuelled the heat of the battle, but PAOK did not have to wait long to celebrate a legitimate goal. In the 28th minute, A. Zivkovic found the turning point, giving his team a deserved advantage. Eintracht Frankfurt were not willing to accept defeat so easily. On 43 minutes N. Nkunku received a yellow card for a rough foul, emphasising the growing aggression on the pitch. The German players realised that they would have to respond in the second half to turn the tide of the game. At half-time, Eintracht Frankfurt made their first substitution, replacing Nkunku with Butu. This substitution was aimed at energising the team and possibly levelling the score. In the 61st minute, Eintracht Frankfurt made another substitution, replacing J.P. Hauge with J. Dean Ebimbe. PAOK also brought fresh energy into the game in the 67th minute, replacing M. Ozdoyev with S. Schwab. The hosts tried to maintain their advantage and stubbornly withstood the attacking onslaught of the opponents.
On 68 minutes Eintracht Frankfurt achieved their goal - O. Marmusch struck the opponents' goal, levelling the score. Eintracht fans jumped up from their seats, anticipating the possible return of the rival. Both teams made further substitutions to strengthen their squads. In the 75th minute, Eintracht Frankfurt substituted Marmusz for J. Ngankama, hoping to strengthen their squads. Ngankama, hoping for a decisive goal. PAOK responded in the 77th minute by introducing S. Meite instead of T. Tsingaras. PAOK made the final attacking roll of the dice by introducing Taison in the 77th minute in place of K. Despodov. The home side were relentless in their quest for victory and the fresh energy gave the attack a new impetus. In the final minutes of the game, Eintracht Frankfurt made two late substitutions: F. Chaibi for Nacho and H. Larsson for M. Hasebe. These substitutions were aimed at creating more chances and possibly securing a late winner. However, PAOK had the last word in this exciting encounter. In the 90th minute, K. Koulierakis scored a goal, causing the fans to cheer. In the last minutes of the match, PAOK player S. Meite received a yellow card. Meite received a yellow card, which added one last incident to an eventful game. The Europa League match between PAOK and Eintracht Frankfurt was the most colourful spectacle of football for the spectators. Tense struggle, goals and emotional rollercoaster made this match unforgettable for both fans. PAOK won, but both teams showed their quality and commitment throughout the match.
In the next round the following matches await the rivals: Aberdeen - PAOK, Eintracht - HIK.
| PAOK | Eintracht | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Kicks to the goal | 7 |
| 4 | Blows | 18 |
| 0 | Blocked shots | 4 |
| 2 | Penalty kicks | 9 |
| 2 | Kicks from outside the penalty box | 9 |
| 4 | Offences | 16 |
| 5 | Corner | 6 |
| 4 | Offsides | 1 |
| 45% | Ball possession | 55% |
| 1 | Yellow cards | 1 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 6 | Keeper saves | 0 |
| 369 | Total assists | 465 |
| 273 | Accurate assists | 379 |
| 74% | Accuracy of passes | 82% |