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And he did not stop running. Carry on, train, to go to the English shooting near the small area, to act as a para. How did Cruyff say that once? “Anyone can enter the area, what is prohibited is to stay thereGiannoulis came out vertically and may not have scored, but it was his own play that brought the own goal.
PAOK now had the upper hand and was in a defensive position, in the corner. Giannoulis took the ball low, just outside the area. Someone in her position would give her one to leave, she would give the partner in front the responsibility of chasing, of keeping possession. Someone could hug her, protect her with his body, save time, absences, breaths.
Other options, from other players. Giannoulis went back to doing what he was forced to do. He went out front, train. He won the measurements and time with the ball at his feet, with the carry. With courage, not with fear. He stretched his arm over the crossbar and now the opening to Zivkovic was safe, at the Serbian’s feet, in a place where the newcomer could “peek out”. And he “showed” himself with the execution of the player he knows, not at the opposite angle, but low, sliding into the closed.
Giannoulis did not score, but he was the great protagonist. The epitome of the bravery needed for PAOK to pass, to exclude Benfica. The one that shone in the decisive moments, the one that sealed the classification.
Before the moments came, before the courage was needed, the game, the PAOK had to save it first. Defend, maintain, control the pace as much as possible against a team with quality in all positions. Before Giannoulis arrived, they were all together an almost perfect match.
With Crespo in the position that Biseswar played in the opening, with this 3-4-3 that was 5-4-1 in low defensive position. With Pelkas having to run a lot in doubles at Crespo, whose steps brought him to the center, he also acts as a stopper.
With an extremely difficult mission for the Axis duo, Canturi-Swab, who had to work hard to send Benfica to the end. The PAOK distances were correct, the spaces were tight, and even when the guests passed the ball between the lines, the behavior of the defensive line was correct.
The PAOK did not eat phases in the back of the defense and could coexist with centers for the head of Seferovic or with the threat of fouls like the one he found in the crossbar. The plan worked the best it could.
And the only time it “broke”, it happened in the way you were afraid to watch the game. Defense of PAOK on the rise, loss of possession, crack inside Crespo. Everton had the clear four-on-four from the wing, but Zivkovic kept PAOK. He does not claim to be excluded from Everton, somewhere oops.
As with Besiktas, also with Benfica, PAOK showed up on the pitch as it should. With the Turks it was a wave and it swept them away with good morning, with the Portuguese it was a breakwater that kept them away. The different questions can be seen by considering the roles played by the miraculous 18-year-old Tzolis.
With Besiktas he was the star with goals and assists, with Benfica he showed that he can find a way to help even in different and more difficult conditions. The little one constantly impresses, despite the fact that he lost battles, he showed that in addition to courage and skills, he also has the mind to be in such detail battles.
The draw may have brought PAOK home in both qualifiers, but the chances are judged by how it is presented. Abel’s team was presented with the required power levels and much more worked, he “installed” the 3-4-3 layout. There may still be doubts about how it will work out in Greece, but against Benfica it was what saved the game for PAOK, made them feel good on the pitch and gave them the right to go all the way, to exclude Benfica.
You felt it in the second half, also Abel, who picked up Zivkovic and Svinderski. And he wanted to bring freshness to the front, but also the message to the team that he wanted to send. “Let’s go find it now.” The Pole did not enter because in the middle it became 1-0, but the Serbian entered and signed.
In the end, what the night meant was reflected in Varelas’ outburst. Somehow everything is “written” on it. He in “that” league goal with AEK, he in the outburst with his son, he and now, that PAOK eliminated Benfica.
The work is not finished, there is still Krasnodar. Obviously, it would be a big mistake for PAOK not to forget Benfica tomorrow or to believe that the story with the Russians is something different from 50-50.
Nothing got easier tonight. The main thing is that PAOK is fine, that counts. All that remains is to put the remaining “tick” with Krasnodar. In recent years he has played finals, won Cups, claimed a championship, won it undefeated, claimed it again as a starter and lost it.
He did it all, but the “never” of the groups remains. This brand should appear this year.
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