Aris survive early scare to secure qualification
GREEK FOOTBALL CUP - ROUND OF 16 (LEG 2)
Aris safely negotiated the second leg of the Last 16 tie against Xanthi in the Greek Cup, earning a 2-1 victory at the Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium to complete a 3-1 aggregate triumph.
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Leading 1-0 from the first leg, Aris made a positive start in Thessaloniki, as Lindsay Rose stung the palms of the opposing goalkeeper with a rasping drive from the edge of the penalty area.
Not long later, Matias Castro suddenly found himself clean through with the Aris defence horribly out of position, and his goalbound effort was deflected to safety by the recovering Fran Velez. Nevertheless, in the 22nd minute of play, Xanthi would have their goal which levelled the aggregate score.
Powering past his markers, Jordan Faucher rounded Aris goalkeeper Julian Cuesta, subsequently sliding the ball into the empty net.
That goal sparked Aris into life. With the half-time break approaching, the hosts did regain their aggregate advantage, as Lucas Sasha curled a sumptuous effort into the right corner beyond the desperate dive of Vitor Bento.
Aris struck a killer blow in the 59th minute. Connecting with a low across from the right wing, Brown Ideye calmly tapped the ball beyond the goalkeeper, in turn giving Aris clear daylight in the tie.
Requiring goals, Xanthi did push as time ticked by, but Aris weren’t to be denied.
HIGHLIGHTS
