In the Europa League qualifiers, Shamrock Rovers were unable to secure a victory over PAOK, succumbing to a 2-0 defeat at Tallaght Stadium. Goals from Magomed Ozdoev and Kiril Despodov during the latter part of the second half cemented PAOK’s dominance, overshadowing any hope of victory Shamrock Rovers sought during the evening.
The Rovers faced this match on the back of a 4-0 loss in Thessaloniki the previous week, thus, virtually ruling out their chances of reversing the tie. However, they did have the consolation of a safe drop into the new league phase of the Conference League.
Going forward, the team from Dublin will shift their attention to the UEFA’s third-tier competition, awaiting Friday’s draw in Monaco to unveil their six opponents in this phase.
Multiple changes marked the team strategy for the Shamrock Rovers in this league qualifier. Manager Stephen Bradley orchestrated eight changes from the previous week’s lineup at the Toumba Stadium. Notable among these was the European debut of Marc McNulty as a striker while midfield saw the likes of Jack Byrne, Aaron McEneff, and young Cory O’Sullivan, aged just 18.
Despite five amendments from the Greek champions, they still showcased a powerful lineup. They played 10 international-level footballers hailing from 10 different nations, boasting a collective experience of 250 international matches.
Indeed, the visitors maintained their grip on the game, spooking the Rovers right from the start. A clumsy pass by Richie Towell allowed Tarik Tissoudali from Morocco to charge ahead setting up a shot for Despodov which was blocked by Leon Pohls. In another unsettling episode, a poor play by captain Roberto Lopes handed the ball to Thomas Murg, pressuring the Rovers once more.
It took until midway into the first half for Shamrock Rovers to mount an offensive, a pressure play instigated by Towell and facilitated by a Gary O’Neill pass, which yielded no success. The last resort for Rovers remained their goalkeeper Pohls, who had to consistently shield the Rovers’ fragile defence, ending the first half by blocking a masterful free kick from Despodov.
The game resumed with Rovers showing more aggression, landing their initial attempt on the goal just six minutes into the restart, after Giannis Michailidis was penalised for fouling Darragh Burns. Although the trajectory was challenging, Sean Kavanagh challenged Dominik Kotarski for the first time, as the Croatian goalkeeper parried the free kick, marking the first corner kick for Rovers.
However, a few minutes later, Hoops could have lost the lead, as Tissoudali launched the ball over the crossbar following a set-up by Despodov. The situation changed drastically at the 64th minute. A poor possession giveaway by Rovers led to Jonny Otto making a fast run forward, setting up Zivkovic. Pohls managed a decent parry, but the ball rebounded to the Serb who cleverly diverted it to Russian Ozdoev who fired into the goal.
PAOK was back 11 minutes later, scoring a wonderful goal as they dissected Rovers’ defences. Stefan Schwab, a substitute, delivered a decisive pass with his left foot’s outer side, meeting Despodov’s run who shot into the network, with Pohls diving the wrong direction assuming a cross.
Team line-ups included; Shamrock Rovers: Pohls; Cleary, Lopes, Kavanagh (Grace, 65); McEneff, O’Neill (Noonan, 65); Burns (Farrugia, 65), Towell, Byrne (Mandroiu, 65), O’Sullivan; McNulty (Burke, 65). PAOK: Kotarski; Jonny, Kedziora, Michailidis, Baba (Rafa Soares, 76); Camara, Ozdoev (Schwab, 71); Despodov, Murg (Taison, 71), Zivkovic (Konstantelias, 71); Tissoudali (Chalov, 71).
The game, officiated by Lithuanian Referee Donatas Rumsas, was witnessed by 5,079 spectators.