Banza, Shoretire and Ndiaye Strike as PAOK Beat AEK 3-1 in the Greek Cup

By Taki Panos

Four days after a painful loss in Crete, PAOK found the perfect way to change the mood. They beat AEK 3-1 at Toumba on Wednesday, October 28, in the fourth round of the Greek Cup league phase, with Simon Banza, Shola Shoretire and Cherif Ndiaye scoring. It was a derby of the double-headed eagles on the Oxi Day holiday, and it was a lot closer than the final score suggests. AEK had more of the ball and hit the woodwork at 1-1, but PAOK were sharper when it counted.

Some context first. That loss in Crete was a 2-1 defeat to OFI in Heraklion in the Super League, and coach Alessio Lisci answered it with a new shape. PAOK lined up in a 4-4-2 with Banza and Ndiaye up front together, and young goalkeeper Monastirlis started in goal, per the lineup published by the club. AEK coach Marko Nikolic also left some regulars in Athens or on the bench, as he said himself after the match.

The new partnership worked almost straight away. In the 5th minute English defender Kenny swung in a cross from the right that Ndiaye just failed to reach. Three minutes later Kenny tried again, and this time Banza met it with a header for 1-0, his third goal in a PAOK shirt, per Real.gr. Kenny was the busiest man on the field in that opening spell, and AEK simply had no answer for him down that side.

AEK slowly settled. Jovic fired over after a nice move between Razvan Marin and Zini in the 13th minute, and Monastirlis pushed away a strong shot from Mayer ten minutes later. In the 27th minute the referee pointed to the spot for a Vida handball, but the penalty was overturned after a VAR review, per the PAOK club report and Real.gr. Just before half-time AEK goalkeeper Balamotis denied Ndiaye from very close range to keep it at 1-0.

The second half started the way AEK wanted. Just after the restart Marin played a lovely pass through the PAOK defense and Luka Jovic finished calmly for 1-1, per the AEK club report and Real.gr. For the next 20 minutes the visitors were the better side. Monastirlis saved a powerful shot from Pilios, and in the 59th minute Zini hit the crossbar with a strike that would have completed the comeback.

Lisci reacted from the bench. In the 62nd minute he sent on Shoretire and Mythou, and it changed the game, per Ta Nea. In the 70th minute Andrija Zivkovic carried the ball forward and exchanged passes with Shoretire, and the English winger finished into the corner for 2-1. It came against the run of play, and AEK's own club report described it exactly that way.

The third goal was the pick of the night. In the 79th minute Ndiaye found a bit of space just outside the box and drove a low shot into the corner, leaving Balamotis no chance. It was a fitting reward for a striker who had been close twice before. Balamotis then had to make one more good save in the 83rd minute, stopping Mythou from close range, to keep the score at 3-1.

Lisci sounded pleased but calm afterwards. "The team has a very big desire and we want to continue like this, both in the league and in the cup," he said in his flash interview (translated from Greek). He explained that playing two strikers needs every player to be in excellent physical condition, and he praised the squad players who had not played in a while. He also defended his team's performance in the OFI loss, saying the only difference was that "today we scored" (translated from Greek).

Nikolic was clearly frustrated. "We had 65% possession, chances, good passing, but we lost 3-1," the AEK coach said at his press conference (translated from Greek), per AEK1924.gr. He called the counterattack that led to the second goal "unacceptable" and said it was the second time this season, after the Shakhtar game, that AEK played well and lost. He also pointed to the new rule on fielding young players, which he said clubs learned about only shortly before the season.

The table looks healthier for PAOK now. They moved up to third place with seven points, per the club, while AEK stay on six. The league phase is a new format, and the top four teams go straight to the quarter-finals. Over in Athens, Panathinaikos also won on the same day, as we covered in their 2-1 cup win over Aris. AEK's last league phase game is against Asteras Aktor in Nea Filadelfeia on December 2, per their club report, and a win there would secure a top-four spot.

My take: this one should do wonders for the mood at Toumba, and the 4-4-2 deserves a second look. Banza and Ndiaye both scored, Ndiaye was a threat all night, and Kenny's crossing gave them plenty to work with. But let's be fair to AEK. They dominated the ball, hit the bar, and lost to two quick strikes. Derbies are often decided by who takes their moments, and on this night PAOK took theirs.

Both teams go straight back to the Super League this Sunday, November 1. PAOK host Asteras Aktor at Toumba, while AEK visit Panathinaikos in a big Athens derby, per the league schedule reported by Documento and in.gr. Lisci also said Luce is close to returning, possibly against Asteras. If you are heading north for a game, our Thessaloniki guide has ideas for the rest of your trip.

We will be watching how both clubs carry this result into the weekend. To keep up with every derby, cup night and Greek star abroad, keep an eye on our Greek Sports section. See you at the next one.

Sources: Hellenic Football Federation (EPO), PAOK FC, AEK FC, Real.gr, Ta Nea, Fosonline, AEK1924.gr, Documento, in.gr.

Image: White and black flag with a double-headed eagle in PAOK colors by Sportingn, cropped, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).