CL–QR3-L1: PAOK - Spartak Moscow (08-Aug-18, 20:00 EEST)

[Bananas]

How good is Spartak ?  Give me some odds people.

I finally got around to watching the Basel match 2nd leg and I thought, overall, we were solid.  Basel had stints where they were fluid in the midfield but they didn’t really create any serious clear cut chances.  They are not the Basel of 18 months ago.  But to our credit we gave them 5 over 2 games.  And I think if we played them again, we’d beat them again.

It’s this sort of game where a player like Wernbloom can really make a big difference.

[pash]

We're slightly favored for our home game, based on the score tracking app I use. Not as one-sided as the predictions for our home match vs Basel, though. I'm sure if you ask a PAOK fan, they'll say something like "we must score first!" or some other meaningless nonsense.

[Bananas]

Tradionally with teams like Spartak we lose not because they outplay us, but because of a moment or two of brilliance because they have one or two quality players.  I think the gap now has narrowed.  We have some quality also.  Not that I expect to win over the two legs.  But, I wouldn’t be so surprised if we did.

Other than at left back, we don’t have any glaring weaknesses.  Not sure if Lucescu will play it safe and stick with Crespo or if he’ll try something left field.  Either way, I’m interested to see how this game plays out just to see how far the team has come under Lucescu.

Whatever happens, we’ve achieved our main goal (qualification to EL Group Stages) which I’m ECSTATIC about.  Everything else is just a bonus.

[paokarag4]

Keeping a clean sheet is HUGE. If we can go to Moscow without having conceded we'll be in good shape. In saying that Spartak are a good team with quality, especially in their attacking half. Our defence is going to have to be on their A game. 

As per the Basel home leg, the game will be available on PAOK TV

 

[pash]

The more our guys play, the better they will be. There was a big improvement between the two Basel matches, if we get even slightly better over the next two matches, I would feel we have a great chance.

That Promes guy isn't going to be gone by the time this match is played. If Spartak is smart, they'll at least hold out through the next one too.

[Dutch Eagle]

The game is sold out. Only if you buy a season ticket there will be a chair available in the stadium to watch the game live.

[pash]

Thank God this game is happening before the away leg. If something (say, a few annoying banners) happens in Moscow, our fans would be sure to retaliate.

[Blackhawk]

4 hours ago, paokarag4 said:

Keeping a clean sheet is HUGE. 

I think it's more important to do this in this game as opposed to the Basel game. I predict that the team that scores in their away game will qualify.

[Yiankos]

10 hours ago, Dutch Eagle said:

The game is sold out. Only if you buy a season ticket there will be a chair available in the stadium to watch the game live.

Reminds me the 2004 game against Maccabi. People were buying season tickets because of that game. And back then season tickets were EXPENSIVE! Gate 4 was $250 and Gate 5-6 $350!

[BostonThanatos]

So funny.... Gate 4 season tickets $250..... For $250 I can't even get a crappy seat to a pre-season Patriots game. 

[DunfermlineAthleticPAOK]

I applaud PAOK for their pricing policy. For my season ticket at Dunfermline (the second tire of Scottish football) i renewed mine for £290... so 377 USD or 324 EUR. and that is for the cheapest tickets and and our equivalent of standing in Gate 4.

I know the situation in Greece is not comparable to Scotland but i think that the pricing is far better at PAOK. I have no idea what the rest of the league is like though..

[pash]

That's actually a good question. Does anyone know how these prices compare to, say, AEK? Or vs the lower-tier teams, like Kerkyra?

[pash]

Here are the call ups for this game. No Biseswar.

 

Ρέι , Πασχαλάκη , Μάτος , Κίτσιου , Μαλεζά , Κρέσπο , Βαρέλα , Χατσερίδη , Σάκχοφ , Μαουρίσιο , Κάνιας , Πέλκα , Ελ Καντουρί , Λημνιό , Ουάρντα , Ζαμπά , Πρίγιοβιτς , Ακπόμ

[DunfermlineAthleticPAOK]

Just tried to have a look and could only find AEK and Oly.. cheapest season tickets priced at 100 (AEK) and 145  (oly) for an adult. I couldn't find prices for Panionios /Xanthi etc 

[DunfermlineAthleticPAOK]

Gutted about Biseswar.. the sooner he is back fit, the better. We could have really done with his presence against Spartak.. especially for the home tie.

[pash]

I don't see how he isn't fit. He's been training with the team since like the day before the last game (vs what some of the sites have been saying, that he's missed three weeks of training).

[Bananas]

Yeah not sure what’s going on with Biseswar.  You’d think he’d at least be on the bench.

[italosPAOK4]

PAME PAOKARA NA TOUS PERASOUME OLOUS NA TOUS TRELANOUME OLOUS !

[Dutch Eagle]

PAS cheapest are EUR 100 for adults (between 16-65 and not unemployed): https://pasgiannina.gr/anakoinwseis/season-tickets-2018-2019/

[pash]

Only 50 euroes more for leather in their VIP section!!

[Yiankos]

Instead of having Vieirinha and Biseswar on our left side we will be having Crespo and El Kaddouri (or whoever Lucescu decides).

It will be a TOUGH game! I am not optimistic. I could this ending a draw, but I hope not.

[pash]

El Kaddouri, I'm not *as* worried about. Lucescu has shown himself very capable of surprising us with winger selections, so who knows.

Crespo, though, makes me VERY nervous. He looked decent against Basel, but Basel were also garbage.

[Blackhawk]

9 minutes ago, Yiankos said:

It will be a TOUGH game! I am not optimistic. I could this ending a draw, but I hope not.

I'll take a 0:0 draw if we can't get a win. We have what it takes to score one in Moscow, when we should have both Vierinha and Biseswar back.

[pash]

Benfica-Fenerbahce currently at 0-0, halftime. I know Spartak is who I should focus on, but...

[Dutch Eagle]

Foresight is the essence of government, Pash!

Benfica - Fenerbahce FT 1-0. Vlachodimos played the whole game. Samaris stayed 90’ on the bench.