Araujo gives AEK long-awaited derby triumph
SUPER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 23
Sergio Araujo scored his first goal since rejoining the Kitrinomavri in the January transfer window to give AEK a narrow 1-0 win over city rivals Panathinaikos at the Olympic Stadium in Sunday’s Super League Athenian derby showdown.
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Araujo, who won the title with AEK in 2017/18, scored a brilliant curled effort after just eight minutes to set the tone for what was a thrilling derby clash.
Both sides had chances in the second half but there were no further goals and Massimo Carrera’s AEK side won their first derby match of the season (and their first since 2018) to cement their grip on third place in the table.
THE MATCH
Sunday night’s late match pitted two sides against each other who had recently overcome some poor form. AEK came into this Matchday 23 clash having won seven of their last ten matches to consolidate third place in the table.
Giorgos Donis’ Panathinaikos also had a pre-match record of five wins on the bounce, scoring eleven goals in those victories and recording five consecutive shutouts.
This was a derby that had expectations from both sets of fans, as well as neutrals, sky-high, and it certainly lived up to its pre-match billing. Both teams began at a frenetic pace, with the ball going from end to end and players pressing each other all over the pitch.
AEK then went ahead after eight minutes with their first attack of the match. Some good interplay between Nenad Krsticic and Marko Livaja ended with the latter releasing the ball to Araujo.
The 28-year-old Argentine then steadied himself and scored with a brilliant left-footed strike which left Sokratis Dioudis with no chance.
Panathinaikos were quick to respond despite going behind, and they were nearly level in the 17th minute when Giannis Bouzoukis found himself time and space for a shot from just outside the penalty area. AEK goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas was equal to the strike, however, and he parried the ball superbly.
The match continued in the same vein at a quick tempo with both teams playing attractive football, although the pace of game did drop in the second half as AEK stepped off the gas and tried to sit back on their lead.
In the second half, chances were at a premium and Panathinaikos’ best chance to equalize came on the hour mark when Christos Donis played in Federico Macheda. The Italian surged through and was just about to pull the trigger when Ognen Vranjes saved the day for AEK with a last-ditch tackle.
Tasos Chatzigiovanis picked up possession and tried to keep the chance alive, but his shot was a poor one and the ball flashed narrowly wide.
Vranjes survived a VAR review later on when Panathinaikos had claims for a penalty correctly turned down, and AEK held on to claim a famous Athens derby win that the men in Yellow and Black will enjoy.
STARTING LINEUPS
AEK: 1 Vasilios Barkas, 21 Ognjen Vranjes, 3 Hélder Lopes, 2 Michalis Bakakis, 24 Stratos Svarnas, 6 Nenad Krsticic, 20 Petros Mantalos, 5 Damian Szymanski, 11 Sergio Araujo, 10 Marko Livaja, 7 Daniele Verde
Panathinaikos: 1 Sokratis Dioudis, 2 Mattias Johansson, 5 Bart Schenkeveld, 44 Achilleas Poungouras, 12 Ilias Chatzitheodoridis, 17 Uffe Bech, 8 Christos Donis, 26 Anuar, 11 Anastasios Chatzigiovanis, 18 Giannis Bouzoukis, 99 Anagyros Kampetsis
