PAOK leveled the final series against Panathinaikos after securing a convincing 3:0 (25:18, 25:17, 25:22) victory in front of their home crowd at 'Palataki'. The Thessaloniki team showed significant improvement in their play and dominated almost entirely, despite the absence of one of their key figures – Uroš Kovačević. On the other side, Dimitris Andreopoulos could not rely on the services of Gasman, who got injured in the first final match.
From the very beginning, the hosts imposed an aggressive style, with their serve becoming their main weapon. Middle blocker Nikolay Kolev played a strong game, finishing with 9 points, including 2 aces and 2 successful blocks, exerting significant influence in crucial moments.
In the first two sets, PAOK dictated the tempo, applying constant pressure with their serve and taking advantage of the opponent's reception struggles. Panathinaikos looked unrecognizable, committing numerous errors from the service line, and Dimitris Andreopoulos's attempts to change the course of the game through substitutions did not yield the desired effect.
The third set was the most contested. PAOK led 18:14, but the guests managed to equalize at 18:18 after a series of strong serves by Kasampalis. In the decisive moments, however, the hosts' block spoke volumes – Nikolay Kolev stopped an attack by Nielsen for 21:19, giving his team a psychological advantage. Torres secured the first match point, and substitute Mouchlias ended the dispute with an attack for the final 25:22.
Hernandez also made a significant contribution to the victory, being the leading scorer in crucial moments, especially at the beginning of the match when PAOK confidently took the lead.

Following this success, the final series is now fully tied, with the next match between the two teams scheduled for May 4th at the 'Mets' arena, where Panathinaikos will be the host.

photos:acpaok.gr