OFI’s extra-time win over PAOK gives it its second Greek Cup

OFI Crete won connected Saturday its 2nd Greek Cup, beating PAOK 3-2 successful other clip astatine the last held successful Volos.

OFI, that had besides beaten AEK connected its way to the final, earned its archetypal trophy since the Greek Cup successful 1987.

The crippled will beryllium remembered for its passionateness and equilibrium shifts, and supra each for the brainsick enactment of the OFI fans earlier and chiefly aft the last whistle.

PAOK opened the people connected the 15th minute, arsenic a country footwear from the close caused chaos successful the OFI defence and Giannis Michailidis headed the shot in.

OFI rapidly upped its game, enactment unit connected the Thessaloniki elephantine and equalized connected the 28th aft a treble effort by erstwhile MLS striker Taxi Fountas, sparking wild celebrations astatine the OFI support astatine the stands.

Then, 5 minutes into the 2nd half, Levan Shengelia, Eddie Salcedo and Thiago Nuss combined and the Argentine controlled the shot and sent it into the nett for 2-1.

On the seventh infinitesimal of clip added-on Mady Camara crossed the shot into the six-yard container and PAOK substitute Alexander Jeremejeff made it 2-2.

The crippled went to other time, and astatine the extremity of its archetypal fractional OFI earned a punishment for a Dimitris Hatsidis handball and Aaron Leya Iseka converted it to reconstruct the Cretans’ pb and go the toast of Iraklio and astir of Crete.

The last was besides marked by the exceptionally bully ambiance astatine the stands, fixed besides that the OFI and PAOK fans person bully relations. 

OFI manager Christos Kontis has so won his 2nd cupful trophy successful three years astatine the aforesaid stadium, aft the Panathinaikos vs Aris last successful 2024.

The effect means that OFI is getting the summons to adjacent season’s Europa League and the 5-8 Super League playoffs are reduced to a specified formality, arsenic they will not connection their winner a spot successful adjacent season’s European competitions aft all.