Livaja at the double for AEK over Panetolikos
 

SUPER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 17

AEK got off to a great start in 2020 as the Kitrinomavri took down Panetolikos 3-1 at the Olympic Stadium in Athens.

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Marko LIvaja was in excellent form on Sunday afternoon as he netted two goals (one from the penalty spot) and won a penalty to lead AEK to victory over struggling Panetolikos. Livaja's spot kick opened the scoring in the 25h minute before Jorge Diaz equalized for the visitors three minutes before the half-time whistle. 

However, that was Panetolikos' only threatening moment of the game, and Livaja stepped up in the 56th minute to restore the AEK lead. Daniel Verde came on after the restart and gave a new wind to the home side, and he deservedly added his name to the scoresheet with AEK's second penalty of the game with eight minutes remaining. 

The result keeps AEK in third place with 31 points, nine points behind leaders PAOK, while Panetolikos are second from bottom with just eight points.

THE MATCH

After failing to pick up three points in their final match of 2019, AEK were determined to kick-off the new year with a victory over a struggling Panetolikos side, who look doomed for relegation. The Agrinio side, however, were coming off of an impressive 2-0 win over OFI Crete in their last outing. 

The early stages of the match lacked any sort of rhythm as AEK produced sloppy football, despite controlling possession. The hosts, however, did find the breakthrough when Anel Šabanadžović was pushed down by Aymen Tahar, and a penalty was awarded to the home side. The decision was controversial, raising a question if the foul was inside or outside the penalty area, but the VAR was consulted and confirmed the foul occurred inside the box.

Livaja stepped up and made no mistake from 11 meters to give AEK the lead in the 25th minute. 

Panetolikos, in their only real chance of the match, took advantage of AEK's complacency in the final stages of the first-half when Tahar did well to set up Diaz in the penalty area and the Uruguyan midfielder beat Barkas the level the score at 1-1 heading into half-time. 

AEK boss, Massimo Carrera, made two key substitutions at the break by inserting Daniel Verde and Andre Simoes, and the two players gave a new wind to AEK. The hosts took over the midfield and began to threaten the Panetolikos goal. 

And AEK's lead was restored in the 56th minute when the head of Livaja met a corner from Verde, and the ball ended up in the back of the net to put AEK in front for the second time in the match.

After the goal, AEK kept up the pressure to put the game out of reach as the woodwork denied Giorgos Giakoumakis in the 65th minute, which was followed by a ten-minute period of a drop in pace. 

Panetolikos looked to take advantage of AEK's lapse and created two good chances through Admir Bajrovic (74) and Mimito (77), but both efforts missed the target.

With Panetolikos failing to equalize, AEK put the game away when they were awarded a second penalty via the VAR as Igor Jovanović clearly brought down Livaja inside the penalty area. This time, it was Verde who stepped up and converted the spot-kick to give AEK the 3-1 lead and all three points.

HIGHLIGHTS

by Sarantos Kaperonis

Image Source: to10.gr

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