CL-QR2-L2: Borac Banja Luka - PAOK (31.07.24, 22:00 EEST)

[Blackhawk]

        VS   

MATCHUP:              FK Borac Banja Luka - PAOK Thessaloniki
COMPETITION:    Champions League – Qualifying Round 2 – Leg 2
DATE:                    31-July-2024
TIME:                     22:00 EEST  (19:00 UTC, 14:00 CDT, 05:00 AEST next day)
CITY/STADIUM:   Banja Luka – Banja Luka Stadium (10,030)
REFEREES:              Sander van der Eijk - Rens Bluemink, Dyon Fikkert (Holland)
TELEVISION:        

PAOK’s History against teams from Bosnia-Herzegovina

2024-2025:  PAOK FC – FK Borac Banja Luka  3:2 – (17. Koulieraqkis, 39. Koulierakis, 51. Ekong) – Att: 16,135 – Champions League (Qualifying Round 2 – Leg 1)

GAMES:  1    WINS:  1    TIES:  0    LOSSES:  0

[pash]

 

Cheer up, everyone. Their goals were from dumb mistakes on our part. We go in with an advantage; we will improve. Fixing mental lapses is, like, Lucescu's specialty.

[Dutch Eagle]

We won't do the usual training the night before the match and there is no press conference. 

Weird. So will they now what kind of shoes to wear or will they slipp away and blame the gorafi? And I thought the press conference was kind of mandatory.

Hybris?

[pash]

Yeah I don't get it. The press conference will actually be tomorrow in Toumba, from what I saw. Are they trying to avoid the local press for some reason? Weird.

[Dutch Eagle]

Squad travelling to the Republika Srpska part of Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Κοτάρσκι, Τσιφτσής, Ταλιχμανίδης, Βιεϊρίνια, Σάστρε, Όττο, Κεντζιόρα, Εκόνγκ, Θυμιάνης, Κουλιεράκης, Μιχαηλίδης, Ράφα Σοάρες, Μπάμπα, Τσιγγάρας, Καμαρά, Σβαμπ, Οζντόεφ, Μουργκ, Κωνσταντέλιας, Τάισον, Α.Ζίβκοβιτς, Ντεσπόντοφ, Μπράντον, Σαμάτα .

For @pash: look..... 3 keepers this time. 4 if you count Vieirinha 😁

[pash]

Borac's gonna get belly rubs from 1/3 of their presidency; we're DOOMED

[Blackhawk]

At the last minute Novasport managed to get the rights to televise the game in Greece and Cyprus. Also bunch of Serbian/Croatian/fakeMacedonian/Bosnian TV channels will show the game. Not sure if it will happen tomorrow but the last two Borac European games were streamed for free on youtube live. 

[Blackhawk]

I was just listening to a random Thessaloniki sports station and they had their reporter in Banja Luka who said that the only change in PAOK's lineup compared to the first game will be Otto in place of Sastre. I do believe that Lucescu is sometimes very stubborn, but I don't believe he is so stupid as not to change the midfield and also not start Konstantelias instead of Murg.

[Soprano76]

Refusing to sell Delia for 15-20 mil then keeping him on bench for games like these makes no sense  🤷🏻‍♂️ 

[pash]

He kind of telegraphed in his press conference that there would be no changes. But the Konstantelias one is truly bizarre. He missed, what, ten days of preseason a month ago? And even then was just training separately from the rest of the team?

[Athens4]

I dreamt that we won 2-0 with Samara scoring first and a Polish guy I used to study with getting the second. Go figure.

[Athens4]

ΠΑΡΤΕ ΤΗΝ ΠΡΟΚΡΙΣΗ ΓΙΑ ΝΑ ΜΗ ΣΑΣ ΠΑΡΕΙ Ο ΔΙΑΒΟΛΟΣ!!!

[italosPAOK4]

gera nikh prokrish

[PaokCT]

I don’t feel good about today guys

[Dutch Eagle]

Lineup as expected:

Kotarski, Jonny, Troost-Ekong, Koulierakis, Baba, Ozdoyev, Schwab, Despodov, Murg, Taison, Brandon

Prediction: 0-3

[Blackhawk]

Let's be positive. The day started well with PAOKtsaki Tzelilis getting the first medal for Greece in the Olympics and will end with easy qualification to the next round.

The midfield duo of Ozdoev, Schwab worries me a bit.

[pash]

It'll only have to last until minute 60.

Lucescu is right about one thing - they cannot progress if they do not attack. That will open them up for our preferred way of playing.

[PaokCT]

Borac great chance 50 seconds in

[PaokCT]

Another big opportunity for the Bosnians in the 4th minute

[Blackhawk]

Better wake up soon PAOK.

[PaokCT]

Good buildup play for PAOK leads to a chance of a Baba cross. No result

[Dutch Eagle]

Koulierakis crossbar

[Blackhawk]

So close by Koulierakis.

[PaokCT]

Koulierakis crossbar off a corner 

[Dutch Eagle]

Goallll Murg