Anderlecht edge PAOK in five-goal Europa League thriller
Reviewed by Elison · Thu 13 Aug 2026UEFA Europa League · 3rd Qualifying Round
AnderlechtFULL-TIME
PAOKThursday 13 August 2026 · 20:30
Our score 1-2MissedHot tip PAOK to win✗ Lost
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
Léo Petrot opened the scoring for Anderlecht in the 19th minute, giving the hosts the lead in this 3rd Qualifying Round tie. PAOK hit back in the 34th minute when Andrija Zivkovic, assisted by Taison, levelled at 1-1. Abdul Baba was booked for PAOK in the 43rd minute.
Anderlecht retook the lead just two minutes into the second half. Lukáš Ambros, assisted by Giulian Biancone, struck in the 47th minute to make it 2-1, and Danylo Sikan, assisted by Mihajlo Cvetkovic, added a third in the 55th minute to put Anderlecht 3-1 ahead. At the 67th minute PAOK introduced A. Jeremejeff from the bench, and in the 74th minute a PAOK goal by Colin Coosemans was ruled out after a VAR review for offside.
Lukáš Ambros was booked in the 80th minute and Christos Zafeiris for PAOK in the 82nd minute. Jeremejeff pulled PAOK back into it in the 88th minute, converting from the penalty spot to make it 3-2. A minute later, Zivkovic was sent off for PAOK, while Giulian Biancone was booked for Anderlecht. Deep into stoppage time, Jeremejeff was himself shown a red card in the 90+3rd minute, leaving PAOK with nine men. Nathan-Dylan Saliba was booked for Anderlecht in the 90+5th minute, and the final whistle confirmed a 3-2 win for the hosts.
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: the match produced five 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.
