Anderlecht Edge Dramatic Europa League Clash With PAOK in Five-Goal Thriller

UEFA Europa League · 3rd Qualifying Round

Anderlecht

3 – 2
FULL-TIME

PAOK

Thursday 13 August 2026 · 20:30 · Lotto Park, Brussels

Anderlecht secured a 3-2 victory over PAOK in a compelling UEFA Europa League encounter that was packed with goals, controversy, and a feisty finale. The Belgian side showed resilience and clinical finishing to claim all three points, despite a nervy closing period that saw PAOK reduce the deficit from the penalty spot and the match descend into ill-tempered scenes in stoppage time.

How the Game Unfolded

Anderlecht drew first blood in the 19th minute when L. Petrot opened the scoring with a straightforward finish, giving the hosts an early foothold in the contest. PAOK responded positively, however, and drew level in the 34th minute through A. Zivkovic, who was teed up by Taison to restore parity and demonstrate that the Greek side would not be easy to contain.

The closing stages of the first half belonged to PAOK in terms of discipline concerns. A. Baba picked up a yellow card for tripping in the 43rd minute, a booking that ultimately prompted PAOK’s coaching staff to withdraw him at half-time. Alongside Baba, A. Mythou was also replaced at the interval, with D. Giannoulis and M. Camara introduced as PAOK looked to reshape their approach for the second period.

The opening exchanges after the restart proved decisive. Just one minute into the second half, Anderlecht’s L. Ambros struck to restore the home side’s lead, assisted by G. Biancone, turning the momentum firmly in Anderlecht’s favour. The Belgian outfit compounded PAOK’s troubles further in the 55th minute when D. Sikan converted, assisted by M. Cvetkovic, to make it 3-1 and seemingly put the result beyond doubt.

PAOK continued to press and believed they had pulled one back in the 74th minute, only for VAR to intervene and disallow the effort for offside, a significant blow to the visitors’ hopes of a comeback. Anderlecht made a triple substitution at the 78th minute mark, bringing on M. N’Diaye, T. Degreef, and L. Augustinsson in a clear attempt to manage the game and protect their two-goal cushion.

The match took another dramatic turn in the 88th minute when A. Jeremejeff converted a penalty to pull PAOK back to 3-2, setting up a tense conclusion. The final minutes were marred by controversy: Zivkovic, who had equalised for PAOK earlier in the game, was dismissed in the 89th minute for unsportsmanlike conduct, with G. Biancone of Anderlecht also receiving a yellow card in the same incident. Deep into stoppage time, Jeremejeff himself was shown a second red card at the 90+3 mark, also for unsportsmanlike conduct, reducing PAOK to nine men. Anderlecht’s N. Saliba was cautioned for tripping in the 90+5 minute as the referee sought to restore order before the final whistle.

The Numbers

The match produced five goals in total, with all scoring coming from open play aside from PAOK’s 88th-minute penalty converted by Jeremejeff. Anderlecht scored their three goals through three different players — Petrot, Ambros, and Sikan — underlining a collective attacking contribution. PAOK’s two goals were both scored by different players as well, with Zivkovic and Jeremejeff on the scoresheet. The disciplinary record was significant: across the 90 minutes and beyond, the match produced three yellow cards and two red cards, with PAOK’s Zivkovic and Jeremejeff both dismissed. PAOK made five substitutions in total, Anderlecht five as well, reflecting the tactical adjustments both sides attempted as the game evolved. A VAR disallowance for offside at the 74th minute proved to be a pivotal intervention that denied PAOK what would have been a 3-2 scoreline at that stage.

Conclusion

Anderlecht claimed a deserved but hard-fought Europa League victory, with their quick-fire second-half goals proving the difference. PAOK showed enough to suggest they remain a dangerous proposition, yet their ill-discipline in the closing stages — losing two players to red cards in the final minutes — ultimately compounded a difficult evening. For Anderlecht, it is a valuable three points secured in dramatic, if chaotic, circumstances.

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Written by Elison

Writes match previews, predictions, and post-match analysis for MatchdayValue, covering the top five European leagues and Europe's continental competitions.