She saved the one level in 90+5', with the draw dropping her to fourth place
AEK completed 2024 within the worst method. Levadeiakos drew 1-1 at OPAP Enviornment and knocked Matias Almeida's staff all the way down to fourth place and -3 from the highest.
Pedroso within the 57th minute with a penalty for handball by Hadjisafi put AEK in bother, who saved the purpose within the ninety fifth minute with Mitoglou. Many missed alternatives for “Union”, which fell on the superb Garavelis.
Within the thoughts of the coaches
Matias Almeida didn’t make many modifications in relation to the… league line-up of the final matches. Mitoglou and Vida remained stoppers, with Rota on the appropriate and Pelios returning rather than Hadjisafi within the again 4 forward of Strakosa. Simanski was chosen as a defensive midfielder with Pineda and Ljubicic in a extra artistic position, whereas Fernandes was chosen on the appropriate and Martial on the left behind Piero.
However, Nikos Papadopoulos lined up Levadeiakos and not using a traditional ahead. Liagas, Eramuspe and Katris have been chosen as a trio of stoppers, with Viho, Moreira, Kasso, Tsokai and Kosti in entrance of them and Pedroso and Baltsi promoted, as Osbolt was left on the bench and Zini out.
The match
Levadeiakos got here in fairly… bravely within the first minutes and I appeared to step higher. However AEK shortly took the reins and began to create phases searching for the fast objective to “unlock” the match.
Garavelis, nevertheless, appeared invincible within the first half. Within the eighth minute, he stopped Piero's very sturdy header along with his toes, whereas within the nineteenth minute he stated “no” from a distance first to Pelios after which to Ljubisic, conserving his objective intact.
The “Union” had two extra superb moments, with Pelios and Martial from the left not making good finishes. Centered on Fernandes, who did every thing very effectively aside from the ultimate choice (typically inflicting some discomfort within the viewers), AEK continued to besiege the well-organized Levadeiakos, who threatened… tepidly with two pictures from Baltsis and Kostis, with out significantly worrying Strakosa.
Matias Almeida threw Hadjisafi into the battle as an alternative of the destructive Pelios however the Iranian proved to be deadly. Within the fifty fifth minute, he waved and Tsakalides appropriately awarded a penalty, which Pedroso transformed right into a objective for 0-1, making the night much more troublesome for AEK.
The Argentinian coach reacted by throwing Mandalo, Pereira and Lamela into the fray as an alternative of Rota, Ljubicic and Fernandes. The Argentinian, in a section paying homage to the objective towards PAOK, was cleared by Martial's flip, whereas within the 67th minute, Mandalos rattled the crossbar with an in depth header from Hadjisafi's cross.
AEK besieged Garavelis' pictures and at last equalized within the ninety fifth minute with Mitoglou's shut vary shot. Within the six minutes that adopted, nevertheless, he couldn’t discover the objective of the upset and thus got here to an finish his 11-game profitable streak towards Levadeiakos.
MVP: Garavelis was the guardian-angel of Levadeakios with a number of large saves, particularly within the first half.
The whistle: Tsakalides rightly pointed to a penalty on the hand of Hadjisafi, a troublesome section when AEK requested for a penalty for overturning Pieros on the finish and the hold-ups. The referee was too meticulous, with many whistles that spoiled the rhythm.
Staff compositions:
AEK (Almeida): ): Strakosa-Rota (60' Pereira), Mitoglou, Mukudi, Pelios (46' Hadjisafi)-Simanski (74' Coita), Pineda-Fernandes (60' Lamela), Ljubisic (60' Mandalos), Martial, Piero.
On the bench: Brignoli, Odubajo, Jonsson, Gacinovic.
Levadeiakos (Papadopoulos): Garavelis-Eramouspe, Liagas, Katris-Vichos, Moreira, Kassos, Kostis (83' Plegas)-Tsokai-Pedrosos (69' Romo), Baltsi (62' Gianniotas)
On the bench: Groff, Mejia, Ozbolt, Yoke, Tshapras, Plegas, Verris
Referee: Alexandros Tsakalides
Assistants: Kolliakos, Papadakis
VAR: Vergetis (Matsoukas)
Supply: sport-fm.gr
