AEK sunk by Panaitolikos in Agrinio
GREEK SUPERLEAGUE - MATCHDAY 11
| Panetolikos | 2 - 1 | AEK |
|---|---|---|
| Cosic OG 26' Crespo 51' |
Simoes 77' |
AEK’s SuperLeague title defence well and truly hit the skids on Saturday as they were beaten 2-1 by Panaitolikos in an absorbing Matchday 11 clash at the Panetolikos Stadium in Agrinio.
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A first-half own goal from Uros Cosic and Alhassan Kamara’s 51st-minute strike sealed the three points for Traianos Dellas’ Panaitolikos side, with Andre Simoes’ late goal for AEK not enough to spark a comeback.
It’s a result which leaves AEK nine points behind leaders PAOK, who were due to host Xanthi in the late match. Panaitolikos, meanwhile, move joint-seventh with Aris on 15 points.
Without a win in their previous two matches, AEK came to Agrinio in desperate need of a pick-me-up, in order to stay in contention with the leading pack of PAOK, Atromitos an Olympiacos.
But things did not go at all to plan for Marinos Ouzounidis’ team, who must now face up to the harsh reality that they are out of this season’s title race even at this early stage, given the amount of ground they need to make up.
On the night in Agrinio, although AEK enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, it was the home side who looked more threatening when they went forward. And following a spell of pressure, Panaitolikos took the lead in the 26th minute when Cosic accidentally put the ball past his own goalkeeper under pressure from Willyan.
AEK’s Argentine forward Ezequiel Ponce missed a decent chance to score when his header was saved by Panaitolikos keeper Dimitris Kyriakidis on the stroke of half-time, and the visitors were made to pay for that miss just after the break.
Just six minutes into the second 45 minutes, a corner from Franco Mazurek was met by Kamara, who headed past Vasilis Barkas to make it 2-0.
AEK responded well to that setback, battling to get back in the game - and they were rewarded with a goal after 76 minutes when Simoes converted from close range following a headed pass from Ponce.
There was still time for AEK to salvage a draw, but despite a spell of pressure in the closing minutes the Kitrinomavri could not conjure up another goal that would have seen them rescue a point and Panaitolikos held on for a deserved victory.
HIGHLIGHTS: PANETOLIKOS - AEK
