Super Eagles hopeful Akpom excellent in eight-goal Super League thriller

The Arsenal academy graduate dropped a man-of-the-match performance as PAOK threw away a three-goal lead in the top of the table clash

Anglo-Nigerian forward Chuba Akpom was among the best players on the pitch as PAOK FC were forced to a 4-4 draw at home to NFC Volos in a Greece Super League gameweek 11 tie on Sunday afternoon.

The 26-year-old striker scored one and supplied an assist, but the White and Black threw away a comfortable lead in a feisty game that drew nine yellow cards for both teams.

Akpom gave the hosts their first advantage of the encounter after Michailidis had cancelled out a Tom van Weert opener for the visitors.

Andrija Zivkovic then scored a brace, the first of which came off an Akpom assist, as the league leaders went into the break with a 4-1 lead.

But the second-placed visitors emerged from the dressing room smoking hot, scoring three goals in 28 second-half minutes to draw 4-4 inside the Toumba Stadium.

Forgotten Super Eagles midfielder Anderson Esiti was among the four PAOK players cautioned in the encounter.

Akpom’s 30th-minute strike was his first goal in six league games in his second spell with the former Greek champions.

The Super Eagles hopeful, on loan from Middlesbrough, found the back of the net 14 times in 54 league games for PAOK between 2018 and 2020.

However, the former Arsenal youngster would be displeased that his efforts could not carve out all the three points for the Răzvan Lucescu-tutored side.

PAOK stay joint-top of the Greece Super League with NFC Volos on 13 points, with Henry Onyekuru’s Olympiakos two points behind with a game in hand.