PAOK vs AEK Larnaca — Match Details | Betmana

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PAOK made it three pre-season wins out of three in the Netherlands, beating AEK Larnaca 3-2. Taison scored a stunning free-kick winner 60 seconds after coming on. Chatsidis and Jeremejeff also on target.

Match Videos

PAOK - AEK Larnacas 3-2 | Friendly Game Highlights (7/7/2026)

Match Analysis

AI Summary

How it unfolded

AEK Larnaca struck first. In the 17th minute, a cross from A. Layouni found Đ. Ivanović unmarked inside the box, and the forward beat goalkeeper Antonis Tsiftsis with a left-footed shot.

PAOK manager Alessio Lisci reacted immediately, withdrawing left-winger Dimitris Berdos for Dimitris Chatsidis. The change paid off inside 15 minutes. In the 32nd minute, Chatsidis collected the ball just outside the area and unleashed a fierce strike that flew past AEK goalkeeper V. Muftić into the corner — 1-1 at half-time.

AEK made nine changes at the break. PAOK made just one, introducing M. Camara for D. Tsopouroglou, and kept momentum. In the 59th minute, Dimitris Pelkas crossed from the right; Chatsidis saw his first-time shot saved, but Alexander Jeremejeff followed up to score into an empty net.

The lead lasted three minutes. A free-kick into the PAOK box found P. Ioannou, whose header restored parity at 2-2 in the 62nd minute.

Lisci then changed all but one outfield player at once (65'), introducing nine fresh legs. The decisive moment came in the 74th minute. Giannis Konstantelias won a free-kick with a driving run, and Taison — on the pitch for barely a minute after replacing Chatsidis — curled the ball over the wall and inside the far post for 3-2.

The turning point

Taison's 74th-minute free-kick. The 38-year-old Brazilian had been on the pitch for approximately 60 seconds when he stepped up to the dead ball. His placement over the wall and inside the far post was the kind of quality the rest of the match had lacked from either side's finishing. It was also PAOK's first goal from a direct free-kick this pre-season.

Key performers

Taison (PAOK) — Player of the match. One touch, one goal. The veteran winger needed less than a minute to make the decisive contribution, curling a free-kick that decided the game.

Dimitris Chatsidis (PAOK) — The young Greek winger scored a stunning equaliser from range in the 32nd minute and was involved in the second goal, forcing the save that Jeremejeff tapped in. A statement performance from a player pushing for first-team minutes.

Đ. Ivanović (AEK Larnaca) — Opened the scoring with a composed finish and was a constant threat in the first half before being substituted at the break.

By the numbers — interpreted

The raw scoreline (3-2) suggests an open, end-to-end contest, and the timeline confirms it: all five goals arrived in a 57-minute window from the 17th to the 74th minute. AEK's nine half-time changes disrupted their defensive shape — PAOK scored twice in the second half after the Cypriots had overhauled their XI. The 65th-minute mass substitution by PAOK also changed the game's rhythm, with Taison's winner coming from a phase of play started by substitute Konstantelias. The defensive fragilities on both sides — PAOK conceded twice from crosses and set-pieces — are typical of early pre-season.

What it means

PAOK have won all three friendlies on Dutch soil: 4-1 vs SK Beveren (1 July), 4-0 vs KVC Westerlo (4 July), and now 3-2 vs AEK Larnaca. Lisci's side have scored 11 goals in three games but have also conceded in each match. Their final pre-season test in the Netherlands is against FC Twente on 11 July. PAOK's first competitive fixture of 2026/27 is their European qualifier on 23 July. AEK Larnaca, who had beaten Helmond Sport 2-1 on 4 July, sit at 1-1 in their pre-season camp in the Netherlands.

Verdict

A pre-season friendly that told both sides useful truths: PAOK carry genuine attacking threat — Chatsidis and Taison showed quality in decisive moments — but defensive organisation from set-pieces needs work before the European campaign begins. AEK Larnaca matched their Greek Super League opponents for long spells and will take positives from their first-half display.