Celta Vigo Prepares for Europa League Clash Against PAOK

omidbasir- The Europa League is back, and Celta Vigo is set to travel to Thessaloniki to take on PAOK. This will not be their first visit to the Greek city; they previously played there over 26 years ago, facing Aris.

On October 19, 1999, during the UEFA Cup, the match concluded in a 2-2 draw. Celta Vigo initially took the lead with two goals from Valery Karpin, scored within a few minutes of each other, but the Greek side managed to equalize. Vigo advanced to the next round, thanks to a subsequent 2-0 victory at Balaídos. However, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals of that continental tournament by Lens.

At that time, Celta was coached by Víctor Fernández and fielded players including Dutruel; Velasco, Cáceres, Djorovic, and Juanfran; Makelele and Giovanella; Karpin, Mostovoi, Tomás, and McCarthy. Sergio, Gustavo López, and Celades contributed to the match in the later stages.

In their upcoming encounter, Celta faces PAOK, a team they defeated 3-1 in the group stage in October, with goals from Iago Aspas, Borja Iglesias, and Williot Swedberg, while Giakoumakis opened the scoring for the Greeks.

Previously, Celta also faced a third Greek team, Panathinaikos, in 2016, winning both matches under the guidance of Eduardo Berizzo. In total, Celta has played five matches against Greek teams, winning four and drawing one, remaining undefeated throughout these encounters.