A preview of the football game FCSB vs PAOK Thessaloniki
Romanian champions, FCSB, are taking on PAOK Thessaloniki in a home match on Thursday
Florin Orban, 19.02.2025, 13:45
Romania’s football champion FCSB, on Thursday will be vying for a place in Europa League’s round of 16. On the National Arena in Bucharest, the Romanian side will be playing the Greek champions PAOK Thessaloniki, a team coached by Romanian Răzvan Lucescu, in the second leg of the play-off.
FCSB won the first match last Thursday 2-1. Tanzanian Mbwana Samatta put the hosts into the lead in the first half of the game. But PAOK’s Brazilian player Taison was given an early bath and in the second half FCSB managed to capitalize on the situation and scored twice through Andrei Gheorghiţă and Cameroonian Joyskim Dawa. The two sides played in the League’s group also in Thessaloniki last October, when FCSB won the match 1-0 although outnumbered after the elimination of Darius Olaru.
FCSB will not be relying on Darius Olaru on Thursday too, since the midfielder is recovering from the injuries he got during the game against Hamburg, part of the team’s training session in Turkey.
However, the Romanian side proved it can do without Olaru pretty well and the team is still capable of mounting quick and flexible schemes during the match. We recall that the last year’s champions, FCSB, managed to make it to the top of the Romanian Superleague and into the play-off of the Romanian championship.
In turn PAOK ranks fourth in the first Greek league after Olympiakos, AEK and Panathinaikos. PAOK has disappointed its fans and is presently hankering for a good show in Bucharest during a match, which is going to be attended by 4 thousand Greek fans.
Fans of the two sides are expected to come in large numbers and brave the elements during the game on Thursday as seats were sold a long time ago.
FCSB versus PAOK will be umpired by a team from Slovenia, headed by Matej Jug, an experienced 45 years old official, who has been on FIFA’s list since 2007.
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