paok vs celta vigo: Celta take 2-1 first-leg advantage at Toumba
In a tense Europa League playoff first leg at Toumba Stadium on Thursday night (ET), Celta Vigo emerged with a 2-1 victory over PAOK Thessaloniki, seizing a slender advantage ahead of the return. The game was defined by key saves, a couple of stoppage injuries and moments of indiscipline that left PAOK with plenty to do in Spain.
Key match moments and turning points
The match produced a series of sharp episodes in both boxes. PAOK goalkeeper Antonis Tsiftsis made several important interventions, saving efforts from Hugo Álvarez, Miguel Román and Fer López, but Celta still found the net twice. PAOK’s Andrija Zivkovic was booked for a bad foul in the second half and later had an attempt from distance that narrowly missed the target. Alexander Jeremejeff was ruled offside during a late push from the hosts.
Injuries interrupted the flow: PAOK’s Dejan Lovren required attention and there was also a stoppage for Celta’s Javi Rueda. Celta made a tactical change with Matías Vecino replacing Miguel Román as they sought control in midfield. The fourth official added five minutes of stoppage time, but PAOK were unable to force an equaliser despite winning a late corner conceded by Marcos Alonso.
What the result means for the tie and the wider context
The 2-1 scoreline hands Celta a valuable away win, but the tie remains finely balanced with everything to play for in the return. This season’s earlier meeting in the group phase was the only previous major European encounter between the clubs — and that meeting ended with Celta winning 3-1 on home soil. That history, combined with Celta’s recent run in knockout away fixtures — unbeaten in their last four away knockout games in major European competition — gives them confidence heading to Spain.
For PAOK, the result deepens a familiar knockout curse: the club has not won a knockout match in the UEFA Europa League or UEFA Cup in 16 attempts (seven draws and nine defeats) since a 3-0 win away at Lyn in October 2003. Despite those troubling numbers, PAOK arrive at the second leg with reasons for optimism: the home performance under Razvan Lucescu has been strong at times this season and the squad has shown resilience in recent domestic fixtures.
Individual form lines also matter. Giorgos Giakoumakis has scored four Europa League goals for PAOK this season, a return matched only by a handful of past club European campaigns. PAOK finished the league phase with 17 goals scored and 14 conceded across eight group matches, underlining both attacking threat and defensive fragility. Celta, who collected 13 points in the group stage and scored 15 while conceding 11, come into the second leg on the back of inconsistent domestic form — they had been winless in their last five across competitions prior to this fixture.
With the away side carrying a one-goal cushion, the return fixture will hinge on small margins: PAOK must balance urgency with caution if they are to break a stubborn knockout drought, while Celta will look to protect their lead and exploit the space on transitions that has served them well this campaign.
Expect the return leg to be played with heightened intensity after this edit of fragile moments, missed chances and late drama at Toumba.
