PAOK History in Europe

[pash]

Just from the perspective of knocking out teams representing countries that we need to overtake in rankings:

• FC Slovacko, NK Osijek, Novi Sad/Cukaricki (both Serbian)

Other ones that would be nice to beat (but which would be much harder opponents):

• Hajduk Split, Lucerne, Limassol

[Dutch Eagle]

Subgroups for the draw (15:00 EEST today) are reveiled:

Group 4

Seeded
Viktoria Plzeň (CZE) / Dynamo Brest (BLR)
Austria Wien (AUT) / Breidablik (ISL)
PAOK (GRE)
Molde (NOR) / Servette (SUI)

Unseeded
Dudelange (LUX) / Bohemians (IRL)
Trabzonspor (TUR)
Aberdeen (SCO) / BK Häcken (SWE)
Kauno Žalgiris (LTU) / The New Saints (WAL)

 

Better avoid Trabzon and the winner of the Scottish-Swedish tie.

[paokarag4]

Yeah Trabzonspor is the one to avoid, no one else scares me. If we can't beat Aberdeen or Hacken (the third team from Sweden) then we simply don't deserve to be in Europe this year. Avoid the Turks and we should be ok. 

[Blackhawk]

Exactly. Need to avoid Trabzonspor, but with our luck that's who we will end  up playing. At least Ajax is not in the draw.

[Blackhawk]

We avoided Trabzonspor.

[Blackhawk]

And the draw is:

F91 Dudelange/Bohemians Dublin - PAOK

[Dutch Eagle]

Dudelange (LUX) / Bohemians (IRL) - PAOK it is. Good draw. And good to play away first. Though could be reversed by UEFA. 

[pash]

Tied for best option imo. Hope the team doesn't take it for granted

[Athens4]

Παίξτε μπάλα και πάρτε την πρόκριση και ας είναι διοργάνωση της πλάκας.

[Blackhawk]

Dudelange - Bohemians  0:1 in the first leg of their tie.

Looks like we will be travelling to Ireland.

[Blackhawk]

If Bohemians eliminates Dudelange, than our first game against them will take place on Tuesday, August 3rd in Dublin. If Dudelange goes through, than we will play them on Thursday, August 5.

Additionally, before we will play our first European game this season we will learn our opponent in the Play-off Round of UCL, since the draw for that round is on August 2, 2021 at 14:00 EEST. This all assumes that we will eliminate either Bohemians or Dudelange.

[pash]

Bohemians just scored, so it's 2-0 on aggregate. Unlikely they won't be going through.

AEK's game, incidentally, is 0-0 still (with two minutes to go in regular time). They need a goal to force extra time; otherwise they're eliminated.

Aris scored, but are down 1-2 on aggregate. Same deal applies for them but they have a half hour left in their match.

-edit- AEK scored in the tenth minute of overtime. Huge for them (and Greece desperately needs the coefficient points). Aris still 1-0 at 71 minutes.

Edited July 29, 2021 by pash

[Blackhawk]

Bohemians leads 3:0 with 10 minutes to go. Dublin it is then.

Aris is leading 2:0 but playing with 10 men.

[Dutch Eagle]

3-0 FT in Dublin. Therefore we play them on Tuesday August 3rd.

[CincinnatiAek]

So much for coefficient points as AEK loses the penalty shootout 3-2. Lead the shootout 2-1 after 3 attempts but Lopes and Araujo could not convert. Ansarifard also hit the woodwork.

[Blackhawk]

It looked like penalties in the Aris - Astana game also, but Astana scoring the deciding goal in the 120th minute. 

[Nilaul]

I guess thats what you get for underestimating the other team in the first game. It must be easy? Right, there nearly all crap teams. That mentality portrayed by Greek media and everyone else. Such a shame for Aris and Aek.

Lets hope that Paok doesn't underestimate the ability of the opponent.

Edited July 29, 2021 by Nilaul

[pash]

WE MUST CRUSH THEM

[Ellada2004]

Terrible loss for Aris right at the end of extra time. AEK should have won both games vs Velenz what a failure.

[Ellada2004]

26 minutes ago, CincinnatiAek said:

So much for coefficient points as AEK loses the penalty shootout 3-2. Lead the shootout 2-1 after 3 attempts but Lopes and Araujo could not convert. Ansarifard also hit the woodwork.

I had a feeling Ansarifard would miss his pen.

[pash]

The "list" for these next games seems to be available.

Λίστα Α: Ζίβκοβιτς, Πασχαλάκης, Ροντρίγκο, Μπίσεσβαρ, Ολιβέιρα, Κρέσπο, Ελ Καντουρί, Εσίτι, Καγκάβα, Κωνσταντέλιας, Κούρτιτς, Βαρέλα, Λύρατζης, Τέιλορ, Μιχαηλίδης, Μιχάι, Μουργκ, Περέιρα, Σβαμπ, Σφιντέρσκι, Τσιγγάρας, Βιεϊρίνια, Α.Ζίβκοβιτς

Λίστα Β: Αβεντισιάν, Μπαλωμένος, Γαϊτανίδης, Γιαξής, Γκορντετζιάνι, Γρόσδης, Καλουτσικίδης, Κουλιεράκης, Κούτσιας, Παναγιώτου, Τάχατος, Ταλιχμανίδης, Τσαούσης, Τσοπούρογλου, Τζόλης, Βρακάς

So Ninua, Lamprou, Ingason, Augusto, and of course Warda are off the list. Interesting that Tzolis is on list B. Is this just an age thing, or is it a sign that he won't be around much longer?

I know it's silly but I am pleased that Pereira is on the list this year. I thought he was sorely underutilized last season.

[Blackhawk]

UEFA released the sub-grouping for Monday's Play-Off Draw.

The winner of PAOK - Bohemians will face one of the following teams:

1. FC Union Berlin (Germany)
winner of HNK Rijeka (Croatia) - Hibernian Edinburgh (Scotland)
winner of Rubin Kazan (Russia) - Rakow Czestachowa (Poland)
winner of FK Velez Mostar (Bosnia) - IF Elfsborg Boras (Sweden)

[PaokCT]

We are F***ed. Really only one good possible draw for us

[Blackhawk]

Hopefully we can avoid Union Berlin and Rubin Kazan.

 

[Athens4]

I thought this was supposed to be some mickey mouse competition. If the likes of Rubin Kazan and Union Berlin are here, then who is playing in Europa League?