PAOK secured a commendable 1-1 draw with Dutch giants Ajax in Amsterdam on Wednesday night in the first leg of their Champions League time.

The Thessaloniki side managed to put aside the recent managerial reshuffle to produce a professional display against the Dutch league's runners-up at the Amsterdam Arena.

The visitors could have buckled after going behind in just the 13^th minute to a great finish from Uruguayan World Cup hero Luis Suarez.

Goalkeeper Kostas Chalkias was also injured in the build-up to the goal and had to be replaced by Dario Kresic.

PAOK however, held out and got a foothold in the game before grabbing what could be a very valuable equalizer.

The goal was set up by Dimitris Salpigidis in the 72^nd minute. The forward, who returned to his hometown club this summer, held up the ball in the Ajax half, spun and threaded a precise pass through the retreating Dutch defenders for the onrushing Vladimir Ivic to latch onto - he unleashed a thunderous shot into the top corners, sending some 3,000 PAOK fans at the ground into delirium.

The goal sets up a fascinating tie for the return leg next week when the passionate home crowd will surely do whatever it can to push PAOK toward a historic qualification for the group stages of the Champions League.

AEK produced a stunning performance in Sydney and defeated English side Blackbur Rovers 2-1 on Wednesday in a friendly tournament held in the Australian city.

Having beaten hosts Sydney FC 5-3 on Sunday, Dusan Bajevic's men had a very good game (despite the rain) to beat the Rovers.

The two AEK goals came within four minutes in the first half (at the 20th and the 24th) through Nacho Scocco and Nikos Liberopoulos, but Australian Nathan Burns played a key part in setting the both up.

Blackburn pulled one back eight minutes from time with Phil Jones.

"It was a good game. The lads had discipline in their game from start to finish. This was a difficult pitch to play on due to the weather. They way it was it actually favoured Blackburn, but even so we responded to the requirements of the game and had one of our best matches up to now," said a happy Bajevic.

Burns, who has returned to AEK after a loan spell at Kerkyra, stated: "I wanted to come to Australia to show the coach and all my compatriots that I have made a great improvement. When they told me to play as a striker I asked some of my former colleagues to tell how I should play."

He went on to say half-jokingly that "the way AEK played today we could have even beaten Barcelona!"

AEK will next play Rangers on Saturday.