paokfc.gr/First Team/PAOK vs. AEL: Facts & Figures
PAOK vs. AEL: Facts & Figures
Ahead of PAOK’s 2025-26 Betsson Greek Cup Matchday 1 contest in the League Phase against AEL, paokfc.gr puts you in the picture about the background to the match, as well as a look back at our previous encounters against the Thessaly club.
- PAOK face AEL for the sixth time in their history in the competition in matches before the final, while they have also met in the final of the competition once, in 1985 with the team from Larissa lifting the trophy.
- The Double-headed Eagle has qualified from all their previous meetings in the competition against AEL. Their only defeat was in the 1985 final, when AEL claimed its first ever trophy and deprived PAOK of the domestic double. That was also their first meeting in the competition, with five more following, in 1990-91, 2003-04, 2016-17, 2020-21 and 2021-22.
- The 2021-22 season was the last time that PAOK hosted AEL in the Greek Cup and their matches came at the “Round of 16” stage of the competition. On December 22, 2021, they prevailed 3-1 (23’ Gotzamanidis own goal, 82’ Akpom, 90’ Akpom – 62’ Ogboe). In the first leg, they had drawn 1-1 (64’ Tahar – 90’ Kurtic).
- Their first meeting outside the final was on March 10, 1991 at the Toumba Stadium in the quarter-finals. PAOK prevailed 3-0 (41’ Lagonidis, 78’ Borbokis, 83’ Karageorgiou) and laid the foundations for qualification for the next phase. The 2-0 defeat in Thessaly was of little significance for PAOK, since the score until added time was 1-0 with Petkov’s goal (25′), and just before the end Da Silva sent the ball into the net a second time.
- In the 2003-04 season they met early, in the 1st round which at that time was in knockout meetings and not in any group or league phase format. AEL got a 1-1 draw (10′ Giasemakis – 42′ Tsakmakidis) in the first leg that was played without fans at the Toumba due to a suspension. PAOK corrected the situation in the second match and with a 3-0 victory (14′ Hagan, 41′ Spasic, 86′ Giasemakis) comfortably progressed to the 2nd round.
- In 2016-17, PAOK faced Larissa for the first time in the Greek Cup with a group stage format. The match was a one-off tie and took place at the Toumba Stadium, with the Double-headed Eagle team winning 2-0 (28’ Mystakidis, 41’ Pereira).
- In 2020-21, PAOK qualified with two wins. In the first leg match at the Toumba, the home side won 5-0 thanks to a hat-trick by Tzolis (9’, 23’, 74’) and one each by Kremenchik (47’), and Ingason (55’). In the second leg in Larissa, which took place on 3 February 2021, PAOK won again 2-1 (39’ Pereira own goal – 19’ Tsigaras, 29’ Kremenchik).
- In their Greek Cup matches there have only been two draws and both were with a 1-1 score. The first in 2003-04 and the last in the 1st round match in 2021-22 between the two teams.
- In total there have been nine matches in the competition in matches before the final and PAOK have won six of them, AEL one and with the two draws and a total goal difference being 20-6 in favor of PAOK.
