pash

Our 1-5 win over Kerkyra last season is being investigated: https://www.onsports.gr/podosfairo/superleague/story/589354/sok-ypopto-to-paok-kerkyra So did they throw the game, or were we so sure we wouldn't win that we bribed for a 5-1?

Keep in mind that Biseswar is purpose-built to break down those kinds of defenses. Mak is less useful against teams that park the bus and defend deep. Against a team like Oly, Atromitos, etc....it's a different story. I also feel our midfield is a little more self-sure this time around. This is why Biseswar was played in the cup final as a winger - to put an additional body in there that can hold up the ball. In effect, we played an asymmetric formation with a withdrawn left wing (Biseswar) and a right wing that was pushed way up ahead (Henrique, who as you know cannot hold up the ball or defend or do anything but fly towards goal). I think all of our potential opponents this season will have more trouble bossing us around like AEK did prior to the last cup.

Finally someone reports on assists... Below is the number of assists in the league. Pelkas is at 9 in all competitions. If anyone has a good consolidated list (all competitions), I'd be much obliged! Source: http://www.sport24.gr/football/omades/Paok/aytoi-poy-serviroyn-ta-gkol-toy-paok.5075734.html

For sure. This is also our last chance for any intentional rotation until the last game of the season (Olympiakos, Asteras, AEK, Atromitos, Panionios, Xanthi, PAO, Platanias, in that order). With any luck we will have the title locked down before the end of that, but we have a few guys that might be running on fumes (Matos, Varela). Below is my lineup: --Rey-- --Vieirinha--Crespo--Malezas--Azevedo-- --Canas--Mauricio-- --Limnios--Biseswar--Mak-- --Koulouris-- I believe Shakhov is our only player who is sitting out due to accumulation of cards. If the win looks like a lock, Moulin will certainly get some time.

So apparently Brkic *still* has a back problem. I thought this was all a bunch of BS? Read a few times today that he's on his way to Germany for some surgery. Wouldn't doubt that this still is just an opportunity to sit on his contract though.

And that's game, 3-0 win. I wonder if our guys started so energized due to the bigger-than-expected crowd. Are there any numbers available?

Shouldn't have played this game at all!

Last sub, Canas in for Pelkas

Azevedo will be the next sub, for Vieirinha

Prijo scored the 3-0, that marked the second assist by Pelkas today. Mak will be the first change, for Campos

^ who was crying, awww

I was going to say you needed to be more negative about it but I guess it happened anyway :-/

Goal Varela!

Varela nutmeggin' bitches for fun

Love that we're playing with four wingers. It's like the 1930s out there

Goooal Shakhov!

Limnios and Mak are warming up, Campos might be hurt

Holy s%$#! Vieirinha's shot just now

Wow the stadium looks pretty damn full

Just read that Biseswar might get the start there too. Not bad. Expect lots of movement between him and Pelkas!

AEK managed a 1-0 win vs Asteras, through a penalty that was converted by the construction worker. Olympiakos drew 2-2 vs Atromitos, which is a great result for us. Current standings: AEK 47 PAOK 46 OSFP 43 Atromitos 39 A win tomorrow will put us two points ahead of AEK, and six points ahead of Olympiakos. As a reminder, next week AEK hosts Xanthi while Olympiakos hosts Panionios. Any draws or losses by those two will give us a massive advantage heading into the end of the season.

The team had a bad start. I don't blame him much more than I blame the other guys in the squad. Reports are that both Matos and Vieirinha will start tomorrow. Hopefully he doesn't crash and burn in the games that actually matter.

For sure. I think this is a morale thing. Though I can't see us keeping Glykos next season, we can't have three starter level GKs in the squad after all...

I believe Larisa's fans are banned from our game too, aren't they?

Realistically, Lucescu needs to make a decent attempt to win each game - Savvidis (to say nothing of our fans) will demand that. Especially with the added pressure of this winning streak. There's all sorts of possible reasons for why he chose who he chose, but God knows he'll never admit them on camera. For the last game, I doubt Lucescu thought Matos would look as bad as he did (which is not to say he played poorly; he just didn't have the energy we usually see). Had he reason to suspect that, I feel we would have seen someone else in that position. Right now, though, I think he played his hand and *needs* to sit the guy out. Unless the guy's come up with some sort of miracle cure for fatigue, this will be a disaster waiting to happen. Also, if it makes you feel better, if there's anyone I would count on to out-dribble Larisa's packed defense in Matos' absence, it would be Vieirinha. But knowing Lucescu, he'll probably just put Crespo in there out of spite. Maybe more interesting to me is what Azevedo will look like in a game where he's expected to go on offense. Judging by his highlights reel, we might be seeing a Campos-style fighter over there.