CL-QR3: PAOK - Benfica (15-Sep-20, 21:00 EEST)

[pash]

Savvidis' Instagram story showing a paok/OPEN ad for this game. Likely the same deal as with the previous one. Very solid

[Yiankos]

Η λογική λέει συντριβή. Η ομάδα μπορεί να είναι πιο συμμαζεμένη, οι αλήθειες όμως παραμένουν εκεί. Πάμε με Μπίσεσβαρ δεξί μπακ-χαφ. Ο Ακπόμ δεν βάζει γκολ ούτε σε κενή εστία. Ο Σβαμπ καλός, αλλά δεν έχει δώσει κάτι περισσότερο απ' ότι ο Μαουρίσιο. Οι τρεις κεντρικοί αμυντικοί μέτριοι συνολικά και επιρρεπείς στο λάθος. Μοναδική αχτίδα φωτός τα τρεξίματα των Τζόλη-Πέλκα και οι συνήθως καλοί Γιαννούλης - Ελ Καντουρί.

ΑΛΛΑ, είναι μονό παιχνίδι και επειδή είμαστε τρελοί και γουστάρουμε όταν μας έχουν εντελώς ξεγραμμένους. Προβλέπω επική πρόκριση και απόλυτη παράνοια!

[Blackhawk]

Squad picked for the game:

Paschalakis, Zivkovic Z, Mihaj, Varela, Ingason, Crespo, Michailidis, Giannoulis, Esiti, Ninua, Schwab, El Kaddouri, Biseswar, Pelkas, Zivkovic A, Swiderski, Akpom, Tzolis

No Matos or Jaba. Saddly Matos is probably history and Jaba will be second fiddle to Zivkovic.

[Blackhawk]

Assuming Ferreira will stick with the 3-4-2-1 formation I expect the following lineup:

------------ Zivkovic ------------
Ingason --- Varela --- Michailidis
----- Schwab ---- El Kaddouri --
Crespo ------------- Giannoulis
------ Pelkas ------ Tzolis -----
----------- Akpom -------------

Unfortunately in my opinion if he goes with that lineup we are flirting with disaster. I expect an easy win for Benfica. Hope I am wrong.

[pash]

What better lineup would you expect?

[PaokCT]

47 minutes ago, Blackhawk said:

Assuming Ferreira will stick with the 3-4-2-1 formation I expect the following lineup:

------------ Zivkovic ------------
Ingason --- Varela --- Michailidis
----- Schwab ---- El Kaddouri --
Crespo ------------- Giannoulis
------ Pelkas ------ Tzolis -----
----------- Akpom -------------

Unfortunately in my opinion if he goes with that lineup we are flirting with disaster. I expect an easy win for Benfica. Hope I am wrong.

With this lineup, I expect us to always have 4 at the back with Crespo playing a traditional RB , not a wing back. I will expect Giannoulis to be going up and down and our back 3 turning into a back 5 when on defense

[Dean97]

I have a few questions..

1. Is this game only 1 leg? 

2. Is the play off round 2 legs?

3. Which channel are they showing this game in Australia and will it be on PAOK TV?

I’m interested to see how the team will go against Benfica this time around. Also I’m interested how the Greeks of this team will do. Hopefully PAOK qualify for the champions league this season as it would do Greek football the world of good.

[pash]

1 - the 'rona!

2 - yup

3 - it'll be streamed on OPEN in greece, which works great with a VPN. Blackhawk might know more about Austria's options re: TV

[Ellada2004]

Good luck to PAOK tomorrow, it will be a tough task vs Benfica. Hopefully they can dump Benfica and qualify for the CL. 

[Yiankos]

Η λογική λέει 1-3 ή 1-4.

Εγώ λέω 0-0 μέχρι το 65' και μετά όλα παίζονται ...

Πάμε στην τρέλα!!!!!!!!!!

[Dean97]

7 hours ago, pash said:

1 - the 'rona!

2 - yup

3 - it'll be streamed on OPEN in greece, which works great with a VPN. Blackhawk might know more about Austria's options re: TV

Thank you very much.

[Tahma]

VPN sorted.. PAME PAOKARA!!!!

[Athens4]

Which VPN are you using?

[pash]

I tried nordVPN, which has a month-long trial period. I'm gonna keep it though, this is pretty useful. Buying a year at a time is pretty cheap as well, when you average that out month to month

[paokarag4]

No surprises with the starting XI, Crespo starting at right wing back. 

 Ζίβκοβιτς, Κρέσπο, Ίνγκασον, Βαρέλα, Μιχαηλίδης, Γιαννούλης, Ελ Καντουρί, Σβαμπ, Πέλκας, Τζόλης, Άκπομ. 

Στον πάγκο βρίσκονται οι: Πασχαλάκης, Μιχάι, Σβιντέρσκι, Α. Ζίβκοβιτς, Μπίσεσβαρ, Εσίτι, Νινούα.

[Blackhawk]

That's what I use too. I got a 3-year subscription. Very cheap.

[Blackhawk]

[Athens4]

Found a link without VPN. https://greektv.org/movies/open-tv-greece-live-webtv/

[teke817]

εμπρός αετέ!

let's go boys ... genuinely shocked that Lyratzis was not included on the squad, let's hope Grimaldo can't play because the dude is a handful and could wreck our right flank if he's not contained. 

Edit: Interesting having Crespo out there -- works well when we defend but can he be relied upon to carry the ball upfield and distribute? 

Edited September 15, 2020 by teke817

[Antaeus7]

Win or go home, this is it guys. 

[paokarag4]

7 minutes ago, teke817 said:

εμπρός αετέ!

let's go boys ... genuinely shocked that Lyratzis was not included on the squad, let's hope Grimaldo can't play because the dude is a handful and could wreck our right flank if he's not contained. 

Edit: Interesting having Crespo out there -- works well when we defend but can he be relied upon to carry the ball upfield and distribute? 

Grimaldo is starting but is apparently coming off a long injury lay-off so hopefully he's a little rusty. 
I don't think Crespo will be expected to be overly attacking, we'll do most of our attacking down the left through Giannoulis. Since Matos is on the outs, Lyratzis was only recalled to the first team training sessions 2 weeks ago, Crespo was basically the only option left. 

[teke817]

3 minutes ago, paokarag4 said:

Grimaldo is starting but is apparently coming off a long injury lay-off so hopefully he's a little rusty. 
I don't think Crespo will be expected to be overly attacking, we'll do most of our attacking down the left through Giannoulis. Since Matos is on the outs, Lyratzis was only recalled to the first team training sessions 2 weeks ago, Crespo was basically the only option left. 

I just think its bad planning - Matos has been on the outs for weeks and weeks, Limnios transfer was clearly in the works for weeks as well, even before Rodrigo's injury, they should have kept Lyratzis training with the group as insurance. Benfica is too good to just play one-handed. 

[pash]

Malezas lighting up the pregame show with his excitement

[pash]

Game about to start. I am so over-caffeinated. AHHHHHHHHH

[kolokotronis99tripoli]

Pelkas why