PAOK defeated Panathinaikos away with 3:2 (25:20, 25:22, 21:25, 21:25, 15:13) in the derby of the Greek Men's Volleyball League. "The Biceps" showed stronger nerves in the tie-break and left with a valuable victory from the "Mets" hall, after more than two hours of battle.

PAOK's big leader was once again Hernandez, who led the team in decisive moments, while Kovacevic's class tipped the scales at the very end of the fifth set. The victory came despite Panathinaikos' strong comeback, who equalized from 0:2 to 2:2 after more aggressive play in block and serve.

The Bulgarian middle blockerNikolay Kolevplayed steadily for PAOK and finished the match with6 points, including3 blocks, with an impressive75% attack efficiency. The other Bulgarian in the squad – Nikolay Kartev, was not in the group for the match.

Scandal after the tie-break – anger against ERT

Even the victory did not calm the passions in the PAOK camp. The club's management issued a strong statement against the Greek public television ERT, which without warning interrupted the broadcast of the match at the start of the tie-break to show preliminary footage before a basketball game.

According to PAOK, this is a sign of disrespect towards volleyball, the fans, and the athletes themselves. The club demands clear answers as to who and why made the decision for the most decisive set to be "moved" online, not ruling out the possibility of an anti-PAOK attitude. The scandal further escalated the tension around the derby, which already offered volleyball at the highest level.

photos:volleyleague.gr