Asteras to play in Europa League group stage again
A Matias Iglesias long-distance shot on the 77th minute gave Asteras Tripolis a ticket straight for the Europa League group stage next season as it sealed the Peloponnesians’ 1-0 win over PAOK on Sunday at the end of the Super League play-offs.
The domestic club season came to a close in the most disappointing fashion for PAOK, as it finished last in the play-offs and will have to cut its summer holidays short as well as finding a new coach quickly, since it will have to negotiate the second round of the Europa League qualifiers from mid-July.
As for Asteras, it is a fantastic feat that it has managed to enter the group stage of the Europa League for the second season in a row.
Atromitos scored a 2-0 victory over a largely second-string Panathinaikos at Peristeri, that gave Atromitos the third spot in the play-offs and a place in the third qualifying round of next season’s Europa League.
Costas Katsouranis scored once in each half to bring Atromitos’s points tally to eight points, ahead of PAOK that stayed on four.
Panathinaikos won the mini-league with 15 points and is going to the third qualifying round of the Champions League, while Asteras finished second with 10.
