PAOK were held to a 0-0 draw by OFI Crete at home in their opening Greek Cup league phase match on Wednesday after failing to convert a series of clear chances.
Manager Alessio Lisi watched his team dominate possession and create the clearer opportunities throughout the encounter, but the hosts were repeatedly denied by OFI goalkeeper Nikolaos Christogeorgos and two Video Assistant Referee interventions.
PAOK took control from the opening whistle and came close to opening the scoring in the 10th minute following a sustained spell of pressure. Midfielder Ugresic struck a firm shot from inside the penalty area after a prolonged attack, only for OFI defender Krizmanic to clear the ball off the goal line.
Ugresic continued to impress on his debut for the club as PAOK maintained control of the midfield. Andrija Zivkovic produced PAOK's next threat in the 26th minute, firing a shot that forced Christogeorgos into a two-stage save. However, Lisi suffered a setback in the 37th minute when Santamaria picked up an injury and had to be replaced by Shola Shoretire.
Shoretire made an immediate impact and thought he had put PAOK ahead in the 45th minute by finishing into an empty net. The celebration was cut short when referee Polychronis reviewed the play on the VAR monitor and ruled out the goal for a foul committed by Mythou on Christogeorgos in the buildup.
Rain slows tempo after half-time delay
Heavy rain over the stadium caused a delayed start to the second half, creating heavy pitch conditions that gradually affected the pace of play. PAOK nevertheless maintained their attacking posture immediately after the restart.
Mythou threatened twice in quick succession early in the second half. In the 50th minute, the forward saw his deflected effort pushed away with difficulty by Christogeorgos. Nine minutes later, Mythou was presented with another clear chance inside the penalty box after being set up in space, but his shot was again saved by the OFI goalkeeper.
As the heavy pitch began to tire the players, both managers turned to their substitutes, with Christos Kontis introducing fresh legs for OFI and Lisi bringing on Mady Camara and Taha Ali. Despite the slowing rhythm, late drama arrived in the 88th minute when OFI substitute Fountas nearly turned a corner into his own net. Shoretire had a final opportunity in the 90th minute following a series of rebounds, but Christogeorgos safely gathered the ball.
PAOK ended the match with 10 men after Taylor was shown a straight red card in the 96th minute. Following a VAR review, referee Polychronis judged Taylor's tackle on OFI substitute Athanasiou to be dangerously severe.
Background and upcoming fixtures
PAOK, known as the Double-headed Eagle of the North, are based in Thessaloniki and stand among the most prominent clubs in Greek football. OFI Crete, based in Heraklion, also compete in the Greek Super League. The Greek Cup features a revised league phase structure, making early points crucial for qualification into the knockout rounds.
The late sending-off means Taylor will serve a suspension for PAOK's upcoming Greek Super League fixture against Panathinaikos. The goalless draw leaves both PAOK and OFI with one point each after the first round of the cup competition.
