Scepovic late show denies Salonika
Stefan Scepovic's last-gasp equaliser denied PAOK Salonika a Europa League victory as Club Brugge snatched a 1-1 draw at Toumbas Stadium.
Vieirinha's 25th-minute strike appeared to have secured PAOK's third victory in Group D but with a minute remaining Brugge striker Scepovic popped up with a goal to frustrate the hosts.
The result does little to change PAOK's prospects of progressing to the last 32, however. The Greek side now have eight points and trail by a point from new leaders Villarreal, who sealed their own qualification with a 3-0 win against Dinamo Zagreb.
PAOK can confirm their progress to the knockout stage by avoiding defeat against Dinamo on the final matchday - as would have been the case had they held on for all three points tonight. The draw ends Brugge's hopes of progressing, however.
PAOK have looked solid in this competition so far and started in confident mood, dominating the early possession although only having Vieirinha's speculative 11th-minute effort to show for their efforts.
Neither side was creating much in the way of clear-cut chances, so when the opener arrived after 25 minutes it was fitting that it came out of nothing, Vieirinha picking the ball up down the left channel and being allowed to unleash a stinging effort high beyond Stijn Stijnen.
PAOK's two wins in the group stage prior to tonight had both been by just the one goal to nil, and there seemed every likelihood the hosts were happy for that to be the case again tonight as they immediately lost some of their attacking threat.
That allowed Brugge to come into the game a little more as the half wore on, but the best of their efforts - headers first from Jeroen Simaeys and then from Joseph Akpala - sailed harmlessly off target.
PAOK threatened to add to their lead in the second half with Pablo Contreras firing over from 20 yards on 52 minutes, while Dimitris Salpingidis was guilty of blazing over from six yards just after the hour after good work by Francisco Zuela.
Scepovic's header was caught by Dario Kresic on a rare foray forward for the Belgian side, but in the main PAOK looked comfortable during the second 45.
Giorgos Fotakis nearly doubled the hosts' lead three minutes from time when he unleashed an effort from the edge of the area that Stijnen parried to safety, but within moments the visitors tucked home an equaliser their performance scarcely deserved.
A foul on the left presented Simaeys with the chance to deliver a free-kick which ran all the way through to Karel Geraerts, who clipped the ball back into the danger zone for Scepovic to nod home.
PAOK Salonika 1-1 Club Brugge: Match Report - view commentary, squad, and statictics of the game as it happened.
Source: DSG
