PAOK Saloniki - next Thursday's opponent of Club Brugge in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Conference League - secured a 2-2 draw in extremis in the topper against AEK Athens.
Both teams were leading together, so it was a crucial game for the two teams. The home team from Athens took the lead after half an hour through Gacinovic and even scored a second soon after the break through Nordin Amrabat, brother of ex-Club player Sofyan. On the hour, PAOK coach Răzvan Lucescu made a triple change and it paid off immediately. Barely three minutes later, left back Baba Rahman scored the tying goal. The visitors started to believe in the game and scored the 2-2 just before the whistle, thanks to substitute Ozdojev.
The draw leaves PAOK and AEK in the lead in the Greek playoffs. It remains unusually exciting as Panathinaikos and Olympiakos count only 1 and 3 points less, respectively. (SF)
PAOK: Kotarski - Jonny (59' Sastre), Kedziora, Koulierakis, Baba, Meïté, Schwab (66' Ozdojev), Zivkovic, Murg (59' Despodov), Konstantelias, Brandon (59' Samatta).
Goals: 30' Gacinovic (1-0), 49' Amrabat (2-0), 62' Baba (2-1), 89' Ozdojev (2-2).