The six-ball PAOK is entitled and celebrates at the top

Days that… Razvan Lucescu’s orchestra has decided to give its best festive performance in Kaisariani. As in every game, the Romanian technician set the pace with his baton.

It may be that the “Maestro” did not have two of his best soloists – Andrija Živković and Tyson – they stayed in Thessaloniki, the first violins were again numerous and without mistakes (if one excludes the possibilities of Kifissia at the beginning). the game) they gave a spectacular Christmas show.

There was no audience except a few crazy people climbing the rocks to enjoy the spectacle, but the television broadcast was enough to convey the reality.

The best football

PAOK are currently playing by far the best football in Greece, with the ball on the ground and in line with their coach’s plan. Lucescu’s team can attack in every possible way, they can threaten with so many footballers that you don’t know who to guard against.

In each game, a different goalscorer appears – today it was Tsingara’s turn to add his name to the list of footballers who have sent the ball into the opponent’s net – and a different protagonist.

And game after game – game after game, as Lucescu also says – he proves to even the biggest skeptics that with the football he plays, he can always produce a player who comes into play when he realizes that his opponent is doing something Opponents who focus on the ball come up short.

A few days ago in Tripoli it was Tomas Murg, who scored again today, who could have put the ball into Astera’s net. Today Joan Sastre almost made it 6-0, which was ultimately awarded to leader Harry Tsingaras.

In Kaisariani, Kirill Despodov scored a goal and three assists, confirming that he is gradually but steadily adapting to his coach’s philosophy and plan and deservedly winning the MVP title. But did Konstantelias and Murg, who also scored and assisted, come back? Or was Shastre not crucial in the doubleheader game? Or Ozdoev? Six goals with six different scorers and such impressive performances…

MVP of the team itself

The biggest weapon of this year’s Razvan Lucescu-created team is that the real MVP is the team itself.

PAOK achieved, as the statisticians say, the biggest victory in their history in a league game with this 6-0 win over Kifissia. Importantly, however, it finishes 2023 in first place in the table, showing that there is still room for improvement, without necessarily waiting for possible transfers to be made at some point.

His coach still has a lot to look forward to from Despontov, who we mentioned above, Marcos Antonio, who is starting to get game time, and even Samata, who also seems to be coming into his own.

The fact that Samata, Ekong and Bamba may miss the Africa Cup of Nations due to appearances with their national teams could become a problem for the Romanian coach. Especially whether Rahman Baba will finally travel with Ghana, which is currently not certain. Lucescu will also find solutions from within, but the others will be under pressure…

Today’s victory allows Razvan Lucescu and his players to have a merry and peaceful Christmas. A time that gives everyone in PAOK the opportunity to realize that despite the important things they have achieved with the football they produce, they still have not conquered anything. Apart from providing complete satisfaction not only to their fans but to all football fans.

Pantelis Vlachopoulos, together with Pantelis Diamantopoulos and Themis Kaisaris, commentates on the big games of the Big-4 in the Stoiximan Super League.