paok still on track after maccabi haifa draw published: thursday 7 november 2013, 23.24cet
maccabi haifa fc 0-0 paok fc
the visitors from greece sit joint top of uefa europa league group l after an even contest in haifa which neither team could decide in their favour.
paok fc remain well on target for a qualifying spot in uefa europa league group l after settling for a point against maccabi haifa fc in israel.
in an even first half, paok enjoyed the only clear-cut chance when miroslav stoch forced bojan šaranov into a fine save. hen erza struck the woodwork for the hosts after the break, but they could not find a way to secure a first win of the group stage, leaving themselves and fc shakhter karagandy six points behind paok and fellow pace-setters az alkmaar.
these two sides may have played out an entertaining first half on matchday three – serving up four goals and two missed penalties – but there was to be no repeat this time around. both teams started brightly, though, and maccabi haifa striker dino ndlovu struck a shot just wide of the post in the opening stages.
as for the visitors, they were restricted to a solitary long-range effort which alexandros tziolis blazed over the bar. indeed, neither goalkeeper was tested until first-half added time, but when stoch finished a quick paok counterattack with a low shot at goal, šaranov did brilliantly to save with his legs.
costin lazăr tested šaranov again after the interval with a firm drive from 30 metres out, while at the other end half-time substitute shimon abuhazira forced jacobo to palm away his powerful attempt from a tight angle. stoch also tried his luck from distance but shot straight at šaranov, before ezra curled a fine effort against the post for the hosts from outside the box.
both sides pushed for the decisive goal but neither could produce a winner, with gustavo boccoli sending a long-range effort high and wide for maccabi haifa before lino almost deceived šaranov with a free-kick from 35 metres.
