Schalke 04 and PAOK Saloniki met in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday evening in the first-leg of their Champions League playoff.
Schalke were aiming to reach the group stage for the fifth time in eight seasons.
Meanwhile, their Greek visitors, who have never progressed beyond this stage, were hoping that a good performance could help them avoid a fifth consecutive season in the Europa League.
Find out how the match unfolded with Sports Mole's blow-by-blow text updates below.
The teams are in...
SCHALKE STARTING XI: Timo Hildebrand, Benedikt Howedes, Atsuto Uchida, Christian Fuchs, Joel Matip, Maximilian Meyer, Julian Draxler, Marco Hoger, Jermaine Jones, Jefferson Farfan, Adam Szalai
SCHALKE SUBS: Ralf Fahrmann, Felipe Santana, Tim Hoogland, Leon Goretzka, Christian Clemens, Roman Neustadter, Teemu Pukki
PAOK STARTING XI: Sanz Jacobo, Angelo Miguel Vitor, Dorvalino Alves Maciel Lino, Alexis Tziolis, Liam Lawrence, Costin Lazar, Kostas Katsouranis, Stelios Kitsiou, Martinez Lucas, Miroslav Stoch, Dimitris Salpingidis
PAOK SUBS: Panagiotis Glykos, Giannis Skondras, Montana Inigo Lopez, Ergis Katse, Sekou Oliseh, Stefanos Athanasiadis, Tomas Necid
The headline news for the hosts is that Klaas-Jan Huntelaar does not feature. The Holland forward has been ruled out for "several weeks" after injuring his knee during Saturday's 4-0 defeat to Wolfsburg.
Adam Szalai replaces Huntelaar, while Joel Matip and Maximilian Meyer come in for Felipe Santana and Christian Clemens.
Huntelaar will be a big loss for Schalke. He scored four goals in Europe last season, while defender Benedikt Howedes is the only other player who found the net more than once for the Gelsenkirchen club.
Followers of English football will have noticed a few familiar faces on the PAOK teamsheet. Winger Miroslav Stoch made five substitute appearances for Chelsea as a younger between 2008 and 2010. Meanwhile, Republic of Ireland international Liam Lawrence is in his second season in Greece. His former employers include Cardiff, Portsmouth, Stoke, Sunderland and Mansfield.
The danger man for the visitors is likely to be Dimitris Salpingidis. The 32-year-old, who has earned 67 senior international caps for Greece, was among the scorers as PAOK won 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur in November 2011.
That result proves that PAOK are not to be underestimated. They also finished second in Greece's Super League last season.
A lot of attention - not mine - will be on the away dugout tonight. Dutch boss Huub Stevens was sacked by Schalke in December 2012 after just 15 months and 67 games in charge. He became PAOK manager nine weeks ago.
Stevens's side got the new domestic campaign off to the perfect start on Saturday, as PAOK beat Xanthi 3-0 at home to go top of the fledgling Greek Super League table.
However, the season did not get off to an ideal start for Stevens's PAOK. They lost 3-1 on aggregate to Metalist two weeks ago, a result which temporarily ended their hopes of progression in the Champions League. Despair soon became joy though, as Metalist were later disqualified.
Prediction: PAOK must feel lucky just to be here and that nothing-to-lose spirit could prove dangerous for Schalke. I think the Germans will win on the night, but I fancy the visitors to grab an away goal and keep the tie, which concludes in Greece on Tuesday, alive. Sports Mole says 3-1.
The pre-match sing song has taken place and the game is just seconds from kicking off. Veltins-Arena looks almost full and a good atmosphere has been created.
PAOK get the match underway with captain Salpingidis, who is sporting the designer bald patch, made popular by the great Zinedine Zidane.
Positive start by PAOK, who earn three corners within the opening two and a half minutes. The visitors come closest to scoring from the third, but Salpingidis's low volley flashes wide. The home crowd have been immediately quietened.
Salpingidis is running the show right now. He capitalises on a mistake by Jermaine Jones and is only denied a clear shot on goal at the last minute thanks to a desperate, but effective, lunge by Matip.
PENALTY SHOUT! Big let off for PAOK as Atsuto Uchida's whipped cross strikes Angelo Miguel Vitor on his right arm, which was fully extended. However, referee Stephane Lannoy waves away the Schalke protests.
Schalke seem to have settled. They are controlling possession and PAOK are locked deep inside their own half.
YELLOW CARD! Stelios Kitsiou can have no complaints about entering Mr Lannoy's notebook, after a poor, late and unnecessary slide on Meyer near the halfway line.
YELLOW CARD! PAOK winger Stoch joins Kitsiou on a booking after pushing Julian Draxler to the ground just outside the penalty area. Dangerous free kick coming up...
CHANCE! Matip should have put Schalke ahead, but, despite rising well above his marker, he fails to make a clean connection with the cross, allowing Lawrence to head clear.
PAOK are playing incredibly deep. As Marco Hoger whips in a cross from the right, 10 players in black and white are in a straight line across their own penalty area. One of them manages to head clear.
Schalke earn their first corner, but the delivery is poor and PAOK hoof clear.
Adam Szalai collects the ball following neat link-up play between Matip and Meyer. The Hungarian forward looks likely to score, before his progression is correctly halted by the offside flag.
GOAL! Schalke 1-0 PAOK Saloniki (Farfan)
That goal has been coming. The visitors take the lead despite some very committing defending. Draxler's shot from 20 yards is well blocked. The ball then falls to Szalai. He is unable to get a shot away, but manages to poke a clever pass into the path of Jefferson Farfan, who strokes a precise left-foot shot in off the far post.
CHANCE! PAOK very nearly make it 1-1 as a deep free kick is swung into the Schalke box, causing mayhem. Christian Fuchs performs minor heroics to clear Kostas Katsouranis's effort off the line, before Martinez Lucas volleys the rebound over the bar from 12 yards.
That was just a little warning to Schalke to say that, although they have been thoroughly dominant so far, they cannot afford to lower their concentration levels.
Having survived that defensive scare, Schalke have composed themselves and PAOK are back on ball-chasing duty.
Half time: Schalke 1-0 PAOK Saloniki
Well, Schalke have bossed the opening 45 minutes of this 180-minute encounter. Let's see how the other Champions League playoffs are poised at the quarter mark...
First-leg half time scores: Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Austria Wien, Fenerbahce 0-0 Arsenal, PFC Ludogorets Razgrad 1-1 Basel, Steaua Bucuresti 1-0 Legia Warszawa
Back here in Germany, Schalke manager will Jens Keller will be telling his players that if they continue to dominate in the second period then they should be able to finish this tie off tonight. PAOK boss Huub Stevens will be demanding more.
Schalke have had 70 per cent of possession so far and Japanese right-back Uchida has spent most of the night in the attacking third.
We are back underway. No substitutions have been made during the break.
CHANCE! The second half begins as the first ended - with Schalke monopolising possession and looking threatening. Draxler bursts into the box, where the ball runs loose and into the path of Szalai, whose powerful shot is blocked.
Poor discipline from Fuchs gives PAOK a free kick just inside the German's half. This gives the visitors the opportunity to send their troops forward, but Schalke defend the set-piece well and the Greek side quickly retreat.
CHANCE! The roles have been reversed here in the past 90 seconds, as PAOK have penned Schalke deep inside their own half. The brief spell of dominance began when Lucas broke the offside trap and won a corner. After much hesitation, the set piece was eventually cleared behind for another corner, from which Lucas fired just wide.
Schalke are beginning to get a bit edgy as PAOK continue to work the ball around in German territory. Farfan looks a real threat on the counter-attack though.
DOUBLE SUBSTITUTION! Ergis Katse replaces Lawrence for PAOK, while Stefanos Athanasiadis come on for Salpingidis, who has run his socks off tonight.
Athanasiadis creates for space for Stoch, who sprints forward and tries his luck from 25 yards. His shots flies high and wide.
SUBSTITUTION! Meyer's game is over. He is replaced by Clemens as Schalke make their first change.
YELLOW CARD! Alexis Tziolis becomes the fourth PAOK player to receive a booking.
GOAL! Schalke 1-1 PAOK Saloniki (Stoch)
PAOK have been outplayed for most of the night, but they are now level and, what's more, have an away goal. And what a goal it was by the former Chelsea wide man, who sped away down the left before cutting inside and curling a low effort past Timo Hildebrand from long range.
YELLOW CARD! Costin Lazar is correctly punished for an ugly lunge on Uchida.
SUBSTITUTION! Leon Goretzka replaces Hoger.
CHANCE! Farfan almost scores a second for Schalke, but Dorvalino Alves Maciel Lino, albeit inadvertently, makes a vital block.
SAVE! Schalke are piling on the pressure now. Centre-half Benedikt Howedes breaks from defence and, after a well-timed one-two, unleashes a powerful strike with the outside of his boot. Goalkeeper Sanz Jacobo makes a great parry to keep his side level.
Worrying scenes for Schalke as Farfan is down in a heap after falling awkwardly.
SUBSTITUTION! Bad news for Schalke. Farfan is being stretchered off. On comes Teemu Pukki, who is a reported target of Scottish champions Celtic.
YELLOW CARD! Uchida clips the heals of Stoch and becomes the first Schalke player in the book tonight.
SUBSTITUTION! Final change of the night. PAOK are bringing Sekou Oliseh on for Lucas in an apparent attempt to wind the clock down
Full time: Schalke 1-1 PAOK Saloniki
What a result for PAOK - and their manager on his return to Gelsenkirchen. The Greeks were much improved in the second half and a moment of magic from Stoch has put them in a very strong position in this tie.
Schalke, meanwhile, face six sleepless night ahead of Tuesday's second leg, which will be played in front of a raucous Greek crowd. With Huntelaar already ruled out of that match, Schalke fans will be very concerned at seeing Farfan leave the field on a stretcher tonight.
That concludes Sports Mole's coverage from Schalke tonight. I will leave you with a list of the other scores from this evening's Champions League matches. Goodnight.
First-leg full time scores: Dinamo Zagreb 0-2 Austria Wien, Fenerbahce 0-3 Arsenal, PFC Ludogorets Razgrad 2-4 Basel, Steaua Bucuresti 1-1 Legia Warszawa
Written by
Robert Summerscales
Robert Summerscales
