During the 54 minutes of the match, Panathinaikos, despite the absence of injured players, was leading the score thanks to a goal scored by Berg after a parallel pass-assist by Molins, just in the 9th minute. Although, the “Greens” were playing with one player less, since the 20th minute, the team showed its superiority on the pitch and controlled both the rhythm and the evolution of the match. Additionally, after the equilibrium was “restored” as Warda was also expelled in the 51st minute, predicting the continuation of the game, although such a prediction was meaningless, one could have said that all circumstances were in favor of the hosting team. Nevertheless this continuation never happened.

The initial stop – temporarily – was the result of an affray between the players on the pitch after Crespo marked Steele. The incorrect presence of Warda on the pitch during the clash, as the player was already expelled, was astonishing and remarkable. This player started provoking the fans on the tribune by his gestures, according to the referee’s report. In such an atmosphere an object was thrown from a bleacher hitting the head of PAOK’s trainer, who went to the changing rooms for a checkup by the ground’s medical doctor. The latter’s report to the referee mentioned a superficial abrasion and based on that referee Kominis was ready to ask the teams to return to the pitch in order to continue the game. PAOK’s representative, nevertheless, suddenly informed that Mr. Ivic was not feeling well and that he would be taken to the hospital. This way the match never restarted.

Panathinaikos was very close to lead the scoreboard of the playoffs and be ahead for the rest of the competition thanks to the efforts of its trainers and its football players on the pitch. Finally this never happened as for an umpteenth time the advantage was on the side of the one who is more powerful outside than inside the pitch…

Lineups:

Panathinaikos:Vlachodimos Od (expelled. 20’), Koutroumbis, Moledo, Hult, Coulibaly, Reis, Marinakis, Mpoku, Klonaridis, Berg, Molins (22’ Steele)

PΑΟΚ:Glykos, Kitsiou, Malezas, Crespo, Leovac, Cimirot, Kace (46’ Biseswar), Sakhov, Warda, Enrique (35’ Campos), Prijiovic.