Easy progress for PAOK, Olympiakos Volou
PAOK and Olympiakos Volou sealed their passage to the playoffs of the Europa League with easy 3-0 home wins on August 4.
The Thessaloniki side saw off Valerenga with a 5-0 aggregate score after an imposing performance in front of 25,000 fans at Toumba.
Adelino Vieirinha opened the score for PAOK one minute from half time with a delightful left kick that beat the Valerenga keeper from just outside the six-yard box.
Stefanos Athanasiadis made it 2-0 four minutes into the second half after a Giorgos Fotakis through ball that split the Norwegian defense.
Fotakis then turned from provider to scorer at the 58th for 3-0, making the most of a ball spilled by keeper Lars Hirschfeld after an Athanasiadis shot.
Facing Luxembourg’s Differdange, Olympiakos Volou had Juan Martin to thank once again for opening the score in a European match, as he headed the ball in at the 30th minute for 1-0. This was Martin’s third goal in Olympiakos Volou’s debut campaign in Europe.
Hungarian defender Zoltan Szelesi made the most of a counterattack by Mario Breska and sent the ball in at the 57th minute for 2-0.
Another Breska effort eight minutes from time found Ilias Solakis, who sealed the Volos side’s qualification with his goal for a 6-0 aggregate score.
The draw for the playoffs of the Europa League will take place on August 5 in Switzerland, involving four Greek sides: PAOK, Olympiakos Volou, AEK and Panathinaikos.
However, if Olympiakos Volou loses its appeal against its relegation for match-fixing, it will also be eliminated form the Europa League.
