AEK ATHENS 6 ABERDEEN 0 Thursday 23 October 2025 UEFA Conference League – League Phase AEK Arena Referee: Jasper Vergoote
Ruthless, relentless top class football from AEK saw Aberdeen blown away this evening in Athens as they suffered a ‘Greek tragedy’.
Following the 1-0 win at St. Mirren on Saturday, Jimmy Thelin made two changes to his side with Topi Keskinen and Marko Lazetic coming into the side, Gavin Molloy and Kevin Nisbet starting on the bench.
Amid a raucous atmosphere, Aberdeen started confidently, winning a free-kick 40 yards out in the fourth minute. Jesper Karlsson wasted no time in getting his eye in, smashing a shot at goal that only just arced wide of the post.
It was a really open game in the opening exchanges, racing from one end to the other, both sides looking to create danger on the counter-attack, very unlike the typically cagey European encounters of yore.
But on 11 minutes, a moment of real class saw AEK in front, a vicious finish from Koita giving Dimitar Mitov no chance. Koita shimmied away into space to the left of the D just outside Aberdeen’s box and then speared a perfectly placed left foot shot across the face of goal and just inside the far post.
Aberdeen had an escape five minutes later. From a free-kick out on the left touchline the ball was curled to the back post where Relvas met it a dozen yards out. He headed back across goal with Mitov wrongfooted, but the post came to his rescue, the ball bouncing to safety.
Stuart Armstrong spearheaded a counter-attack on 18, finding Karlsson when he might have taken a shot. But after Karlsson was dispossessed in the AEK box, the hosts were straight up the other end of the pitch and that man Koita was picked out in space around the corner of the six-yard box to thread the ball between Mitov and Nicky Devlin, back across goal and just inside the far post. Another clinical finish.
Aberdeen won a first corner in the 23rd minute, Pierrot clearing it, Devlin’s head cracking into his hip as he cleared, Devlin needing plenty of treatment before he was deemed fit to carry on.
The Dons were undone again on 27, a poor goal to give away. Mitov’s pass put Jack Milne into trouble on the edge of his own area. He was quickly dispossessed by the two AEK men who were already surrounding him, the ball was worked back across the box by Olias and Eliasson was all alone to guide his shot back across goal for 3-0.
Keskinen was substituted on 32 minutes, Alfie Dorrington replacing him as the Dons looked to reset. Even then, Mitov had to make a reflex save from Pierrot’s header from six yards as he got himself free to get on the end of a cross. No sign of any let up from the Greek side.
Relvas was booked on 35 for hauling Lazetic back as he looked to bear down on the AEK goal.
Vida very nearly made it four on 38 minutes, a free-kick coming in from the left. He broke the defensive line fastest and hurled himself at a diving header that cannoned into the post and away to safety. Next, a Mantalos snapshot from the edge of the box, when there seemed to be no danger at all, flashed just wide of the target. For all that Aberdeen had been architects of their own downfall on occasion, the sheer quality of this AEK side was very clear for all to see.
Another rapid counter-attack from AEK four minutes into added time saw them go from back to front in an instant, Koita’s raking pass forward going beyond Milne’s attempt to intercept. Pierrot was onto it but he dragged his shot just wide of the target.
There was still time for another chance, Eliasson dancing through the box and firing at goal from eight yards, Dorrington somehow clearing off the line.
HALF-TIME: AEK ATHENS 3 ABERDEEN 0
Dante Polvara and Ante Palaversa joined the fray in place of Graeme Shinnie and Adil Aouchiche at the break.
It took AEK ten minutes to really get going again but on 55, it was 4-0. The Dons lost possession on halfway and, within two passes, Pierrot was in behind to put an angled shot across goal and past Mitov. The post looked to have saved Aberdeen again but as the ball looped up from the woodwork, with the ball behind him, Marin produced an acrobatic finish to leap into the air and manufacture a brilliant scissor kick into the roof of the net.
Mats Knoester was yellow carded for dragging down Eliasson after 59 minutes. Leighton Clarkson replaced Armstrong three minutes later. Kutesa was AEK’s first change, replacing Koita on 65, and testing Mitov with a low shot within 30 seconds. Marin and Pierrot followed him off on 69, replaced by Ljubicic and Jovic. Kusini Yengi replaced Karlsson in Aberdeen’s final change on 72.
Good footwork and determination from Lazetic got him into the box on 74, but Strakosha was down to save his shot. Aberdeen recycled the ball from there, Devlin crossing, but Yengi couldn’t get enough on his header to trouble the goalkeeper.
AEK made their last changes on 77, Gacinovic and Grujic replacing Rota and Mantalos.
On 81, it was 5-0, Gacinovic picking his way through a crowded penalty area to find Jovic who danced around Mitov to deposit the ball into the empty net.
Evidence of tired minds and bodies among the Aberdeen side came a minute later as Jensen almost sliced a cross into his own net, Mitov saving at full stretch, but the constant pressure from AEK had simply been too much for the Dons.
Another crossfield ball over the top, this one from Ljubicic, had Kutesa in behind Dorrington, courtesy of a glorious first touch, and he romped clear to slot the ball past Mitov for 6-0 after 87 minutes.
No let up from the hosts either, for on 90, a cross into the box from Kutesa picked out Vida, who rattled a header against the crossbar, Mitov acrobatically saving the follow up header from Jovic.
AEK ATHENS: Strakosha, Rota (Gacinovic 77), Vida, Filipe Relvas, Penrice, Eliasson, Olias, Mantalos (Grujic 77), Koita (Kutesa 65), Marin (Ljubicic 69), Pierrot (Jovic 69).
Subs not used: Angelopoulos, Brignoli, Chryspopulos, Kosidis, Moukoudi, Pilios.
GOALS: Koita (11, 18), Eliasson (27), Marin (55), Jovic (81), Kutesa (87)
BOOKED: Relvas
ABERDEEN: Mitov, Jensen, Devlin, Knoester, Milne, Keskinen (Dorrington 32), Shinnie (Polvara 46), Armstrong (Clarkson 62), Aouchiche (Palaversa 46), Karlsson (Yengi 72), Lazetic.
Subs not used: Suman, Vitols, Molloy, Nisbet, Milanovic, Lobban.
BOOKED: Knoester
