Europa League Play-off Preview: PAOK -v- Shamrock Rovers

PAOK Salonika players applaud fans after the UEFA Conference League Quarter Final Leg Two match between PAOK Saloniki and Olympique Marseille at Toumba Stadium on April 14, 2022 in Thessaloniki, Greece.

PAOK Salonika players applaud fans after the UEFA Conference League Quarter Final Leg Two match between PAOK Saloniki and Olympique Marseille at Toumba Stadium on April 14, 2022 in Thessaloniki, Greece. Credit: Photo by Alexander Scheuber - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images

PAOK

While Shamrock Rovers had a free weekend in the run up to their Europa League play-off in Thessaloniki on Thursday thanks to their FAI Cup elimination by Bohs, PAOK played their first league game of the season on Saturday.

The Greek Champions won 3-2 at home to Panserraikos with Austrian international Stefan Schwab scoring a brace to go with a first half injury time goal by Magomed Ozdoev.

That was their fifth game of the 2024/25 season having previously played four Champions League qualifiers prior to that Greek Super League game.

They entered the European qualifiers in the second qualifying round defeating Borac Banja Luka home (3-2) and away (1-0). They then drew 2-2 in Malmo before losing 4-3 at home after extra-time to drop into the Europa League play-off. 

So there is a certain amount of pressure on PAOK who blew their shot making the Champions League group stage for the first time by losing to Malmo last week.

The Greek side were leading the tie by a goal going into injury time in the second leg before conceding a 97 minute equaliser to take the game to extra-time. They conceded nine minutes into the first period against the Swedish champions and current Allsvenskan leaders (who like Rovers are in the middle of their domestic season).

Speaking at the pre-match press conference PAOK manager Răzvan Lucescu said: “I believe that the players must be disappointed for losing to Malmo but at the same time they must gain from confidence from this game. 

“They faced a team who were in must better condition than them and they managed to be qualified in 90 minutes with total control (before conceding).”

PAOK have made it to the quarter-final of the Europa Conference League in each of the last two seasons – losing 3-2 on aggregate to Marseille in 2022 and Club Brugge 3-0 last season.



In that 2021/22 campaign, they defeated Bohemians in the qualifiers. Bohs won the first leg 2-1 in the match played in the Aviva Stadium but POAK won the second leg in Greece 2-0 to go through.

SHAMROCK ROVERS 

Rovers are looking to make a return to the Europa League group stages for just the second time when they take on PAOK in the play-off beginning with the first leg in north Greece on Thursday (kick off 6.30pm Irish time).

The Hoops will be looking to keep the tie alive to come back to Tallaght after this first away leg. In the previous round they managed that bringing a first leg 1-0 loss back from Slovenia before overpowering Celje 3-1 in the second leg to give them a 3-2 aggregate win after extra-time.

The celebrations with the players and management mixing it in the south stand with supporters will live long in the memory. “It was a special night,” said Hoops Head Coach Stephen Bradley speaking to shamrockrovers.ie.



“It’s obviously a really historic night for the club and the team. It’s the first time qualifying for group stage football in Tallaght in front of our own fans and the second time in three years (having made the Europe Conference league in 2022).”

Rovers scored two goals in a four minute period in the first half before missing a clear cut chance late on that would have given them a 3-0 second leg lead at the break. “Our two quick-fire goals around the half hour mark really had Celje on the rack and the move that almost led to Trevor Clarke making it three was a move of the highest quality, we finished the first half brilliantly. 

“If Trevor had scored that third goal before half-time, I think the game was over at that stage. The game would’ve been killed competitively. But it wasn’t to be, we don’t make things easy for ourselves! But when we had our moments, I thought the players were really good.

“I didn’t think they caused us too many issues. Leon Pohls made one really good save, but other than that I thought we defended really well. So once Graham (Burke) scored in extra time, the belief and energy grew and also in the ground. The fans were brilliant in giving us that energy to which the players feed off.”

The club know that they have league stage football secured for the Conference League should they lose. Victory in the tie means Europa League football for Rovers right into January which would be a headache for the Hoops but one they'd be happy to have to manage.

“It is nice going into the game knowing that we’ve secured group stage football, but our aim will be to try and win the tie against PAOK and qualify for the Europa League. We know it will be a tough game. There are one or two players we’ve come up against in the past, but we can see they have good players. 

“When you’re at this level in Europe, that’s what you come up against. We know they’re a good team with good individuals, but we need to focus on us, go into the game with our game plan and take it back to Tallaght and hopefully win the tie.”

Bradley will be able to call on new signings Marc McNulty and Danny Mandroiu while Pico Lopes should be available after picking up a knock during his fine performance in the game against Celje last week. Rory Gaffney and Johnny Kenny remain out for Rovers.

Referee: Enea Jorgji (Albania)

PREDICTION

3-1 home win

STATS

Across the last four seasons in Europe where the Hoops entered as champions, Stephen Bradley’s side have played 26 matches winning nine, drawing four and losing 13. In Tallaght Stadium, they have an impressive home record of seven wins, two draws and four defeats. On the road they have just the two wins and two draws along with nine defeats.

Graham Burke’s goal to win the last round against Celje was his ninth in Europe to move him clear into fourth spot in the list of all-time League of Ireland goalscorers in Europe. He is one goal off third spot held by Jason Byrne and two behind Glen Crowe in second place. David McMillan with 14 goals leads this list. 

The current PAOK skipper Vierienha got the winner when the sides last played in PAOK in October 2011. A Karl Sheppard header had equalised after Lazar scored the opener but the Portuguese international fine strike from outside the box in the 61st minute proved the difference between the sides.

About Macdara Ferris

Macdara Ferris is a contributor since 2007 to Hoops Scene (Shamrock Rovers' match day programme) and is the co-author of two books on Shamrock Rovers - 'Tallaght Time: Shamrock Rovers 2009 to 2012' (with Karl … View Full Profile