Spanish side Celta Vigo took a significant step towards qualifying for the Europa League round of 16 by defeating PAOK Thessaloniki 2:1 away from home. Under the guidance of Claudio Giráldez, the visitors dominated the match on difficult Greek soil, ending the hosts' unbeaten home run lasting over a year. Despite the guests' clear superiority, a late consolation goal means the qualification issue remains open ahead of the return leg at Balaídos.

Valuable away advantage

The Celta Vigo team defeated PAOK away 2:1 thanks to goals from Aspas and Swedberg, ending the Greeks' home unbeaten run.

Visitors' missed opportunities

The Spaniards dominated for most of the match, but a lack of effectiveness and Jeremejeff's late goal revived the hosts' hopes for qualification.

Celta's historic dominance

This is already the fifth consecutive victory for the Galician team against Greek rivals in European competitions, a streak dating back to 1999.

The players of Celta Vigo secured an extremely valuable victory in Thessaloniki, defeating the local side PAOK 2:1 in the first leg of the play-off Europa League. The team led by Claudio Giráldez imposed their style of play from the start, silencing the passionately reacting stands of the Toumba Stadium. The reliable Iago Aspas opened the scoring, and the lead was extended by young Swede Williot Swedberg. For most of the match, the visitors controlled events on the pitch, while wasting several good opportunities to decisively settle the tie. PAOK Thessaloniki is famous for its exceptionally heated atmosphere at home, and their last defeat in front of their own fans occurred over a year ago, highlighting the scale of the Vigo team's success. The hosts, despite being weakened by the absence of head coach Răzvan Lucescu on the bench, fought until the very end. Hope was restored for the Greeks in the 77th minute by Erik Jeremejeff, who capitalized on a momentary lapse in the Spanish team's defense. Although Celta leaves Greece with an advantage, there remains a sense of missed opportunities in the dressing room. The return leg in Spain promises to be exciting, as the Thessaloniki team proved they can be dangerous even in a difficult position. „We were better, but we lacked the killer instinct to close out this tie already today.” — Claudio Giráldez This victory confirms Celta's excellent streak against Greek opponents. Since November 1999, the Galician team has won every match against representatives of that league in European competitions. Pre-match statistics also favored the visitors, who had already beaten PAOK 3:1 in the league phase earlier this season. Now the players from Vigo must finish the job at their own stadium to book their place in the next round of the competition. Europa League Round of 32 Match Result: PAOK Thessaloniki 1:2 Celta Vigo

Mentioned People

  • Claudio Giráldez — Coach of Celta Vigo, who led the team to victory in Thessaloniki.
  • Iago Aspas — Captain and scorer of the first goal for Celta Vigo.
  • Williot Swedberg — Young Swedish midfielder for Celta, scorer of the second goal.
  • Erik Jeremejeff — Scorer of the consolation goal for PAOK Thessaloniki.
  • Răzvan Lucescu — PAOK coach, who could not lead the team from the bench due to suspension.