Spain's Celta Vigo took a significant step towards the Europa League round of 16 by defeating Greek side PAOK Thessaloniki 2-1 away. In the match played on difficult ground in Thessaloniki, the experienced Iago Aspas and Williot Swedberg shone. Although the hosts responded with a goal from Alexander Jeremejeff late in the game, the team from Galicia is in a much better position ahead of the return leg at their home stadium, Balaídos.

Celta's Away Victory

The team Celta Vigo defeated PAOK Thessaloniki 1:2, ending their one-year unbeaten run at their home stadium in Thessaloniki.

Key Duo Aspas and Swedberg

Goals for the visitors were scored by Iago Aspas and Williot Swedberg, securing a safe lead for the Spaniards in the first half of the match.

Łukasz Skorupski's Clean Sheet

Polish goalkeeper Łukasz Skorupski was unbeaten in the match of Bologna FC against SK Brann in the same competition.

In Thursday's first knockout round match of the Europa League, the team RC Celta Vigo secured a valuable victory over PAOK Thessaloniki. The match, taking place on hostile ground in Greece, started under the visitors' control. The reliable Iago Aspas opened the scoring, not only scoring a goal but also assisting his team's second strike. The second goal for the Spanish side was scored by Williot Swedberg, allowing Celta to control the course of the match for most of the game. The hosts, despite the support of fanatical fans, struggled to break through the visitors' defense, where defenders led by coach Claudio Giráldez intervened confidently. The Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki is known for one of the most vibrant atmospheres in European football, and the PAOK team had not lost at home as hosts for over a year before the clash with Celta. In the second half, the Greeks pushed to reduce the deficit, which paid off in the 77th minute. The consolation goal was scored by Alexander Jeremejeff, restoring hope among local fans for a favorable result before the return leg. Celta Vigo could have won by a larger margin but wasted several good opportunities towards the end of the match, leaving some dissatisfaction in the ranks of the team from Vigo. It is worth noting that in other matches played simultaneously, Polish players also made appearances. Łukasz Skorupski kept a clean sheet for Bologna in the clash against SK Brann, while for Panathinaikos, Andreas Tetteh showed effectiveness, competing with Karol Świderski. Celta Vigo will approach the return match with the advantage of two away goals, which, in the context of historical statistics, places them as clear favorites. Since 1999, the Galician team has won all four official matches against Greek opponents, each time by exactly a two-goal margin, a statistic rarely seen at this stage of the competition. The return leg at the Estadio Balaídos will decide the final advancement to the round of 16. Europa League Round of 32 Match Result: PAOK Thessaloniki 1:2 Celta Vigo 1 rok — this was the length of PAOK's unbeaten home run before the match against Celta

Mentioned People

  • Iago Aspas — Captain of Celta Vigo, scorer of the first goal and assistant on the second goal.
  • Łukasz Skorupski — Polish national team goalkeeper for Bologna, who kept a clean sheet in the match against SK Brann.
  • Claudio Giráldez — Coach of the Celta Vigo team, responsible for the tactics in the win against PAOK.