AEK overpower Panetolikos
GREEK SUPERLEAGUE - MATCHDAY 26
| AEK | 4 - 0 | Panetolikos |
|---|---|---|
| Oikonomou 39' Malis (OG) 50' Boye 82' Galanopoulos 83' |
AEK flexed their muscles with a rampant 4-0 home win over Panetolikos on Sunday with a performance that bodes well ahead of next week’s Greek Cup semi-final first leg clash against Lamia.
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Marios Oikonomou’s first-half opener and a Alexandros Malis own goal just after half-time put the Kitrinomavri firmly in control in the Athens sunshine at the Olympic Stadium, and late goals from Lucas Boye and Konstantinos Galanopoulos completed a resounding three-point haul.
The result tightens AEK’s grip on third spot as they moved seven points clear of fourth-placed Atromitos with 50 points from 26 matches, and look in good shape ahead of their upcoming cup commitments.
THE MATCH
Having beaten Atromitos 1-0 away from home last time out, Manolo Jimenez’s AEK came into this match keen to build on that momentum, and they played some impressive football against a resurgent Panetolikos team.
AEK controlled the play right from the kick-off, but despite that there was little in the way of scoring chances to speak of until the home side opened the scoring in the 39th minute. Tasos Bakasetas was the architect, sending over a delicious curling cross which Oikonomou rose highest to meet and plant a powerful header past Panetolikos goalkeeper Dimitris Kyriakidis.
That gave AEK a major boost going into the dressing rooms and the hosts came out for the second half on the front foot in search of another goal to kill off the game. And it duly came five minutes after the restart.
Defender Michalis Bakakis made headway down the right flank before unloading to Viktor Klonaridis, who sent over a dangerous center that visiting defender Malis could only direct past his own goalkeeper.
The tempo of the game slowed somewhat after that as AEK took their foot off the gas a little, but there was little attacking threat from Panetolikos to suggest they may be able to find a route back into the match.
Instead in the closing stages, AEK went through the gears again and got a third goal in the 82nd minute. Petros Mantalos played a through ball for Boye, who skipped past the challenge of Enea Mihaj before scoring with a clinical diagonal shot.
Just a minute later, it was 4-0 when a rampant AEK dissected the visiting defence yet again. Christos Albanis found Galanopoulos and the AEK midfielder skipped past a Panetolikos defender before firing past Kyriakidis.
STARTING LINEUPS
AEK: 1 Barkas (GK), 2 Bakakis, 4 Oikonomou, 24 Svarnas, 23 Hult, 17 Klonaridis,6 Krsticic, 25 Galanopoulos, 14 Bakasetas, 31 Boye,10 Livaja
Panetolikos: 82 Kyriakidis (GK), 21 Marinakis, 47 Malis, 66 Mihajι, 15 Amaral, 17 Marcos Paulo, 18 Lucero, 11 Diaz, 10 Mazurek, 7 Mana, 9 Bajrovic
HIGHLIGHTS: AEK - PANETOLIKOS
