Match report
Late Castro penalty seals thrilling win for Brann over PAOK
Brann beat PAOK 3-2 at Brann Stadion in the Europa Conference League playoff round, coming from a two-goal cushion being cancelled out before Niklas Castro's late penalty settled a chaotic contest. Noah Holm had put the home side ahead deep into first-half stoppage time, finishing an assist from Castro to make it 1-0 at the break.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
Brann doubled their advantage seven minutes into the second half through Kristall Ingason, set up by Jakob Sørensen, but PAOK responded quickly. Cherif Ndiaye pulled one back on 63 minutes from a Dimitris Pelkas assist, and five minutes later Christos Zafeiris levelled at 2-2, converting a Dimitrios Chatsidis assist to level the scoring.
With the tie finely poised, Castro stepped up again in the 86th minute, converting from the penalty spot to restore Brann's lead and make it 3-2, a scoreline that held to the final whistle. PAOK dominated territory for long spells but could not find a third equaliser as Brann held on for the win.
Castro was involved in two of Brann's three goals, setting up Holm's opener before scoring the decisive 86th-minute penalty himself.
Despite having just 6% of possession, Brann were far more clinical, converting their chances while PAOK dominated the ball without finding a decisive breakthrough.
Brann beat PAOK 3–2 (half-time 1–0).
Brann met PAOK in the UEFA Europa Conference League (Playoff round). Kick-off was Thursday, 27 August 2026, 17:00 UTC at Brann Stadion. Referee: John Brooks.
Team pages: Brann · PAOK · UEFA Europa Conference League
Key moments
- 45+3' Goal: Noah Holm (assist: Niklas Castro) — 1–0
- 56' Goal: Kristall Ingason (assist: Jakob Sørensen) — 2–0
- 63' Goal: Cherif Ndiaye (assist: Dimitris Pelkas) — 2–1
- 68' Goal: Christos Zafeiris (assist: Dimitrios Chatsidis) — 2–2
- 86' Goal (penalty): Niklas Castro — 3–2
Starting line-ups
Brann (4-3-3)
Pre-match read
Over 1.5 Goals. League base rate: 78% over 1.5 goals On the other hand: Low-chance environment (xG) — Combined expected goals across both sides' last five games projects to just 1.7 per match.
Under 3.5 Goals. League base rate: 36% over 3.5 goals On the other hand: Low-chance environment (xG) — Combined expected goals across both sides' last five games projects to just 1.7 per match.
Under 2.5 Goals. League base rate: 57% over 2.5 goals On the other hand: Low-chance environment (xG) — Combined expected goals across both sides' last five games projects to just 1.7 per match.
Both Teams to Score. League base rate: 50% both teams score
Brann to Score. League base rate: 78% home sides score On the other hand: Class edge (the hosts rated 170 Elo points below their opponents) — Sides with this class edge scored −8.6pp vs their league norm across 4,5
Model-generated pre-match read. Not betting advice.
About this match
On this page: the Brann vs PAOK final score and result, who scored, starting lineups, match stats and the full match report from this UEFA Europa Conference League fixture.
- Who scored and when — a goal-by-goal timeline of the match.
- Match stats — possession, shots, expected goals (xG), corners and cards.
- Starting lineups and player ratings for both teams.
- Head-to-head record and recent form for both sides.
The full match report above covers the goals, key moments and stats. Explore more on the Brann and PAOK team pages or the UEFA Europa Conference League page.
Quick answers
›What was the final score of Brann vs PAOK?
Brann beat PAOK 3–2 (half-time 1–0).
›Who scored in Brann vs PAOK?
Noah Holm (45+3') for Brann; Kristall Ingason (56') for Brann; Cherif Ndiaye (63') for PAOK; Christos Zafeiris (68') for PAOK; Niklas Castro (86') (penalty) for Brann.
›Where can I watch Brann vs PAOK highlights?
This page carries the full match report, stats and lineups for Brann vs PAOK; goal clips are added as soon as official highlights are available.
›What is the head-to-head record between Brann and PAOK?
Brann and PAOK have met 2 times — 0 wins for Brann, 0 wins for PAOK and 2 draws.