Thessaloniki, Greece - March 15, 2024 - In a night of unforgettable football, both Olympiacos and PAOK secured dramatic victories to advance to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL).
Olympiacos Completes Miraculous Comeback:
Facing a seemingly insurmountable 4-1 deficit from the first leg, Olympiacos produced a historic comeback, defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv 6-1 in Israel (7-5 on aggregate) after extra time. The Piraeus giants stormed back with a dominant display, spearheaded by early goals from Daniel Podence and Kostas Fortounis. Ayoub El Kaabi's spectacular bicycle kick in the first half left the crowd in awe, and goals from Stevan Jovetic and Youssef El Arabi in extra time sealed the remarkable victory.
PAOK Crushes Dinamo Zagreb:
PAOK also enjoyed a thrilling night at their Toumba Stadium, overturning a 2-goal deficit against Dinamo Zagreb with a convincing 5-1 win (5-3 on aggregate). Baba Rahman opened the scoring, followed by a fortuitous goal from Konstantinos Koulierakis and a header from Brandon Thomas. Despite conceding an equalizer, PAOK remained relentless. Koulierakis scored his second, and Andrija Zivkovic converted a penalty in the closing stages to secure their place in the next round.
Greek Super League Play-offs Set for Tense Battles:
While the European success brings joy to Greek football fans, the relegation battle in the Super League heats up as the play-offs commence this weekend. Giannina, currently at the bottom of the table, desperately needs a win against Atromitos to maintain their hopes of survival. Volos faces a tough challenge against league leaders Asteras Tripolis, while Panetolikos and Kifisia aim to create distance from the danger zone against Panserraikos and OFI respectively.
