Brann vs PAOK - Europa Conference League

Brann produced a disciplined, counter-punching display at home, sitting deep and exploiting set pieces with ruthless efficiency in a first half they dominated despite barely touching the ball. The statistics tell a remarkable story: PAOK held 94 percent possession and forced six saves, yet Brann's nine shots on target, 12 corners, and 104 dangerous attacks underline how the Norwegian side turned defensive compactness into devastating transitions. Noah Holm's first-half header and Kristall Máni Ingason's second-half tap-in, both manufactured from corner situations, had Brann cruising at 2-0 before PAOK's double substitution sparked an extraordinary five-minute revival — Cherif Ndiaye and Christos Zafeiris levelling inside eight minutes to make it 2-2 and throw the tie wide open. Niklas Castro's 86th-minute penalty ultimately settled matters, and for PAOK it is a bitter exit, their inability to convert dominance into early goals proving fatal across both legs despite a second-half show of character that briefly threatened to overturn the deficit.