Manzis and greetings! The “invisible” PAE Giannina, considered the third favorite by many, won against Iraklis with a score of 2-1 after an exciting match at “Zosimades,” with two powerful shots from Manzis, who introduced himself perfectly to the fans of Ioannina. Thus, the Epirians doubled their victories in the demanding and difficult Super League 2 and boosted their morale to the highest levels.
However, PAE Giannina must continue modestly and humbly. The road is long and difficult; there will be obstacles and tripwires, and only if the fans rally around this year’s effort will there be prospects for championship contention. And of course, the administration must also fulfill its obligations so that the only thing concerning the team will be the opponent and the matches. All of these are very basic prerequisites, but above all, unity is crucial, along with those shocking images that follow every game, with fans and players becoming one and singing together the chants.
However, let us start from the beginning. In terms of performance, those lucky enough to be at the stadium, as well as those who watched the match on television, certainly enjoyed two beautiful hours, as the game had rhythm, intensity, opportunities, moments of quality, and moments of duels that showcased the passion of the 22 football players for victory.
PAE Giannina came out truly prepared, with the pedal to the metal in the first 15-20 minutes, and up until the 30th minute, they did not seem particularly troubled by their opponent. A goal came from a set piece, with Soria delivering the ball from a corner to Manzis, and the experienced striker beautifully shot into the corner of the small area, sending the ball into the net above Stournara’s head.
Five minutes later, Manzis almost scored another beautiful goal on a counterattack as he tried to “lob” Stournara with a chipped shot from the edge of the penalty area, but the Iraklis goalkeeper made a full-stretch save, preserving his team’s goal from certain violation.
After the 30th minute, Iraklis circulated the ball better in the midfield and took control of the game, with PAE conceding some ground as it seemed Iraklis found many open spaces while PAE was high up the pitch. Ultimately, the relative pressure from the visitors bore fruit, as in the 44th minute, during a counterattack, Kynigopoulos passed to Tsirigotis, who shot unchallenged, Bakadimas headed the ball trying to intercept the shot, but ultimately complicated Athanasiou’s save, and the ball ended up in the net for 1-1. The equalizer came at a crucial moment, just before the teams headed to the locker rooms, which certainly raised questions for PAE and boosted morale for Iraklis.
The second half started with much promise for a game with an even stronger rhythm, along with an announcement from Iraklis regarding the refereeing and against the president of EPO, Makis Gkagkatzis, who played a role in the psychology of the referees that officiated 100-0 in favor of Iraklis and filled the players of the Epirians with yellow cards, while the slightest touch was called a foul.
Fortunately, Rene Poms’s players focused solely on the match and not on the referee, and the match – as we said – from the beginning of the second half promised an exciting development.
In the 50th minute, Iraklis had a great opportunity for 1-2 when Kynigopoulos broke free on the right, entered the area, and with a shot from a narrow angle rattled the crossbar of Athanasiou, with Tsirigotis being stopped by the amazing Athanasiou on the rebound!
Back and forth the ball, and in the very next minute, Gino won the ball with a fantastic tackle in the midfield and sent an amazing through ball to Heinrich, who broke away in a one-on-one, but just as he shot, Kivrakidis heroically tackled him from behind and awarded a corner.
In the 65th minute, PAE launched another counterattack with Heinrich, who returned the ball to Manzis, and he shot into the bodies crowded in front of the line, winning a corner, from which the 2-1 came! Loupa, with a well-taken execution, found Manzis’s head, and with a powerful header, he once again hit the net of Iraklis.
PAE found one more counterattack in the 67th minute with Manzis being thwarted this time by Stournara during a shot from a narrow angle.
Notably, from the 2-1 onwards, PAE Giannina did not enter the process of giving space to the opponent, despite the “diligent” attempts of Dragatis to whistle fouls and distribute countless yellows! The phases were always cleared by the defense, which had good positioning during those fouls. Thus, the only phase that drew a reaction from Iraklis was in the 78th minute when Bertolio expertly executed a free-kick from outside the area, but aimed at the sticks of Athanasiou!
No other phase occurred in the match, despite the 7-minute stoppage time that the referee kindly gifted to Iraklis, and the Giannites celebrated a very significant victory that turns them into a formidable opponent, but we repeat, not yet a favorite. The continuation must remain low-key, and the team, through its work, will ultimately show how far it can go.
Justified, however, the celebrations at the end, as a release from the crowd was needed.
PAE’s next opponent will be Niki Volou at “Zosimades,” in a match where the presence of the fans is now imperative, as such matches with opponents who will also play more defensively are won with voice.
The lineups of the two teams
PAE Giannina (Poms): V. Athanasiou, Rider, Bakadimas, Sobotzinski, Soria, Loupa, Begala, Gino, Heinrich (86′ Leo), Athanasiou (71′ Nikolaas), Manzis (71′ Sepovits)
Iraklis (Ofridopoulos): Stournaras, Kivrakidis (86′ Kaloutsikidis), Tasoulis, Sideras, Diamantis, Hammond, Belmont (67′ Dukoure), Christodoulopoulos (67′ Miranda), Bertolio, Kynigopoulos, Tsirigotis (86′ Kousta).