AEK LARNACA 0 ABERDEEN 0 Thursday 6 November 2025 UEFA Conference League – League Phase AEK Arena Referee: Dalibor Cerny
A composed and disciplined display from the Dons won them their first point of the UEFA Conference League campaign, in a game in which both sides had glorious chances to win the match in added time.
There was just one change in the Aberdeen XI from the side that beat Kilmarnock, Adil Aouchiche coming in for Graeme Shinnie, who started from the bench. Nicky Devlin skippered the side.
AEK won an early corner and though it was cleared, Suarez was onto it 25 yards out, thankfully blazing his shot over the bar in the second minute.
It was a much more compact shape from the Dons than we’d seen in Athens and in the early exchanges, Aberdeen certainly looked more solid and confident than in that fixture.
They might have had a goal on 12, Marko Lazetic playing a one-two with Dante Polvara on the left edge of the box following a free-kick. The ball in took a slight deflection that took the ball away from Jack Milne who was lurking a dozen yards out, the centre-back only able to get the slightest touch on it.
Another neat free-kick saw Aouchiche pick out Polvara at the by-line, but his first time pull-back was cleared on the quarter hour.
There was an escape on 21 minutes as Devlin looked to cut out a through ball, but his sliced clearance from 20 yards out sailed over Dimitar Mitov, before thankfully drifting just wide of goal.
Mitov had to produce a sharp save just past the hour. An AEK corner again failed to beat the first man, but they recycled the ball to Ivanovic on the edge of the area. He tried to shape the ball int the bottom corner, but Mitov was down to his left to push the ball to safety.
AEK almost grabbed the lead out of nothing after 41 minutes, Milicevic trying what looked like no more than a speculative shot from 30 yards but the ball skipped beyond Mitov, then thumped the post and bounced clear.
HALF-TIME: AEK LARNACA 0 ABERDEEN 0
The tempo picked up in the early stages of the second half, but still neither side was able to fashion a clear cut opportunity, the Dons still keeping a solid defensive shape.
Gnali put in a fine cross from the AEK left in the 55th minute, perhaps the best delivery of the night so far, but Pere Pons made a hash of his header from ten yards out, putting it over the bar when he should have at least worked Mitov.
A run from Miramon saw him skip past Alexander Jensen and Jesper Karlsson before cutting the ball across the face of the box, Devlin making a vital block to keep the scores level after 57 minutes. Danger signs though for Aberdeen.
Good pressing from Devlin saw Aberdeen win the ball high up on 62, the ball breaking for Karlsson, whose shot was deflected wide of goal. Kevin Nisbet and Topi Keskinen were Aberdeen’s first changes, Lazetic and Stuart Armstrong replaced in the 63rd minute. AEK responded four minutes later, Waldo making way for Naoum.
Keskinen and Nisbet combined promisingly down the left but after getting into the box, Keskinen couldn’t get the ball out of his feet to shoot in the 68th minute.
Angielski and Gonzalez replaced Bajic and Pere Pons for the hosts in the 72nd minute. Nicolas Milanovic replaced Karlsson three minutes later, while Jensen was down requiring treatment for cramp. He made way for Emmanuel Gyamfi.
A curling cross from Keskinen looked promising but it just drifted tantalisingly away from Milanovic as he came in at the back post in the 79th minute.
Another pounding drive from Milicevic from distance tested Mitov to his left, but he was able to paw it away, Polvara injured in the melee that followed as Aberdeen cleared their lines. He took some treatment before being replaced by Shinnie in the 84th minute.
Aberdeen could have won it in the first minute of added time. Keskinen collected a loose ball on the break and left Ekpolo for dead down the right. His ball across the face reached Milanovic at the back post but as the ball bounced just before it reached him, he scooped his effort wide of the goal from six yards out.
Gonazalez collected the game’s first booking for wiping Aouchiche out on 92, Ioannou then replacing Ekpolo.
Angielski should have won it on 94, Miramon wriggling free and hooking the ball across goal. With all the goal to aim at, Angielski missed an absolute sitter, heading wide from eight yards out.
AEK LARNACA: Alomerovic, Miramon, Ekpolo (Ioannou 90+3), Milicevic, Gnali, Ledes, Suarez, Pere Pons (Gonzalez 72), Ivanovic, Bajic (Angielski 72), Waldo (Naoum 67).
Subs not used: Demetriou, Paraskeva, Gerasimou, Roberge.
Booked: Gonzalez
ABERDEEN: Mitov, Lobban, Devlin, Knoester, Milne, Jensen (Gyamfi 76), Armstrong (Keskinen 63), Polvara (Shinnie 84), Aouchiche, Karlsson (Milanovic 75), Lazetic (Nisbet 63).
Subs not used: Suman, Vitols, Clarkson, Molloy, Yengi.
