Liam Lawrence

First leg of Play offs are next Tues/Weds. Will the appeal be before then?

No, which creates the problem of whether to suspend the ban or not. Fenerbahce are set to face Arsenal while appealing against a ban for match-fixing so there is precedent, but Fenerbahce are on their first appeal whereas Metalist have been banned already and lost their appeal. The papers seem to think they'll get a reprieve but in reality I don't think we know what UEFA will do. I'd lean towards them upholding the ban.

Lawrence started for PAOK tonight as they went on to draw 1-1 away to Schalke in the Champions League play-off round. He was replaced by Kace after 62 minutes, however. Valuable away goal for PAOK, that.

Damn you, I was about to post this. Great result for PAOK, though it will still be a huge battle for them to deal with Schalke's firepower in Thessaloniki.

A mundane predictable Bundesliga team is bound for elimination.
Go on the Greeks.
Power to PAOK

PAOK's fans were easily the best and most passionate visiting crowd I've seen in Tallaght. Delighted to see them doing well and Liam too.

How did he play?

Liam Lawrence's PAOK take on Schalke tonight in the Champions League play-off round. They've given themselves a fantastic opportunity to qualify with an away goal in the 1-1 first-leg draw in Germany. The game is to be played behind closed doors, however, which surely won't help the home team. Remains to be seen whether Lawrence will start. He started the first leg but I'm not sure he's nailed down a regular starting place this season.

Misses the tie due to injury.

Schalke in front, by dint of a flukey dubious goal.

Salpingidis should have evened it up with an equally dubious goal but he missed the ball.

edit: Goal PAOK! No disputing that one.

Great goal. PAOK have started the second half very well.

Only the boring monotonous sound of drunken boisterous uncultured germans coming from inside Paok's stadium. What did PAOK do to deserve that? the ultimate crime - not pay their bills to a german bank?

Crowd violence apparently. Although all the violence so far has been meted out by Schalke defender Jermaine Jones (classic German name there) who's been sent off for two yellows.

edit: Drexler scores. Game over, I think. Awful defending.

Originally Posted by geysir

What did PAOK do to deserve that?

The punishment was dished out due to crowd trouble between PAOK and Rapid Vienna fans when the clubs met in last season's Europa League:

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Crowd violence apparently. Although all the violence so far has been meted out by Schalke defender Jermaine Jones (classic German name there) who's been sent off for two yellows.

Jermaine is indeed a good name, I think the father must have had a sense of humour.

2-2 now, Schalke have been defending awfully. Cue 12 minutes of PAOK pressure before Schalke scrape through on away goals.

If it ends up like this (3-3), it still goes to extra time, doesn't it?
from Clueless in Reykjavik.

No, away goals is applied after 180 minutes. Referee doing his bit by refusing to award Stoch what looked like a penalty.

That's that so. PAOK didn't commit any defenders even when they needed a goal and yet somehow they still got caught for pace in behind.