Back to Thessaloniki: Celta's Greek history as they prepare for PAOK clash
Celta Vigo return to Thessaloniki after 26 years, having previously faced Aris in the 1999 UEFA Cup. The Galicians boast an impressive unbeaten record against Greek opposition.
Celta Vigo are heading back to familiar territory as they prepare for their Europa League clash with PAOK in Thessaloniki, a city they visited over 26 years ago when they faced local rivals Aris.
Blast from the past
The Galicians’ previous trip to Greece’s second city came on 19th October 1999 in the UEFA Cup, where they battled to a 2-2 draw against Aris. That night, Russian midfielder Valery Karpin was the star of the show, bagging a quick-fire double that put Celta in the driving seat before the hosts managed to claw their way back to parity.
That result was enough to see Celta through to the next round thanks to their 2-0 victory in the first leg at Balaídos. They would eventually bow out in the quarter-finals against French side Lens.
Victor Fernández’s squad that evening featured some proper ballers, including:
- Richard Dutruel between the sticks
- Claude Makélélé anchoring the midfield
- The Russian duo of Karpin and Alexander Mostovoi pulling the strings
- South African striker Benni McCarthy leading the line
Current Greek connection
This time around, it’s PAOK who stand in Celta’s way. The two sides have already met this season during the group stage, with Celta coming out on top at Balaídos with a convincing 3-1 victory. Iago Aspas, Borja Iglesias and Williot Swedberg all found the net that day, after Giakoumakis had given the Greek side an early lead.
Perfect record against Greek opposition
Celta’s history against Greek teams is absolutely bob on, as they say. Besides Aris and PAOK, they’ve also faced Panathinaikos back in 2016, winning both matches under Eduardo Berizzo’s management.
In fact, their overall record against Greek opposition reads like a dream:
- Played: 5
- Won: 4
- Drawn: 1
- Lost: 0
That’s what I call having the upper hand! As they prepare to face PAOK again, Celta will be hoping their Greek odyssey continues to bring them good fortune. Talk about having your opponents’ number - Celta seem to have the whole Greek phone book sorted.