AEK Athens will be looking to overturn a one-goal deficit when they host Royal Antwerp in the Champions League. Last week, despite playing the final 40 minutes of the match with 10 men, the Belgian visitors prevailed 1-0 in front of their home fans.
Preview (AEK Athens vs. Royal Antwerp)
AEK Athens was unable to defeat the 10 men of Antwerp last week. They may be still suffering from a European hangover from their victory over Dinamo Zagreb. Croatian defensive stalwart Domagoj Vida made the decisive contribution against his former team. With 16 minutes remaining, former Tottenham Hotspur striker Vincent Janssen gave the Belgian team the lead. Despite losing left-back Jelle Bataille to a straight red card, Antwerp was able to put the game away.
AEK Athens had 64% of the ball and attempted 23 shots on goal. They huffed and puffed in the second half, but only four of their attempts found the back of the net. This was also the case in the weekend’s Greek Super League debut. In fact, Panserraikos managed to hold the defending champions to a 1-1 tie. Kosta Aleksic gave them the lead in the opening minute. Mijat Gacinovic equalized for Matias Almeyda’s team in the waning moments of the second half.
Only eight of the Double-Headed Eagle’s 36 shots this time tested the opposing goalkeeper Adrian Chovan. On the biggest continental stage, such carelessness could prove to be very costly indeed. This time, the Double-Headed Eagle finished the game with a stunning 82% possession. Prior to the 2023–24 qualifying rounds, Antwerp had only ever participated in two top-tier continental contests. They lost to Real Madrid 8–1 on aggregate in the 1957–1958 European Cup. Antwerp, who had previously put up a five-game winning streak on opposing turf with five clean sheets in tow. They have actually failed to win any of their last four competitive away games.
Team News
The recent injury to AEK Athens’ striker Levi Garcia, who played just 36 minutes in last week’s first-leg loss to Antwerp before needing to be replaced due to a thigh ailment, has not improved the team’s goal-scoring problems. The Trinidad and Tobago forward is set to be out for a few weeks as a result of the problem, while winger Paolo Fernandes, whose Achilles injury will take months to cure, won’t be available to the hosts for the second leg either. As Garcia heals, Tom van Weert should start at position nine, and Gacinovic, who came off the bench to equalize for the Greek champs in just seven minutes last weekend, should push his way back into the starting lineup.
As previously reported, due to his straight red card in the first leg, Antwerp left-back Bataille will not get the opportunity to redeem himself in Greece, further complicating Van Bommel’s defensive predicament. Kobe Corbaine, a fullback, is already absent for the visiting manager, while Bjorn Engels, a center defender, is dealing with an Achilles injury. Goalkeepers Davino Verhulst (eye) and Ortwin de Wolf (finger) are also absent. Toby Alderweireld should team up with Soumaila Coulibaly in the center of the defense, while American defender Sam Vines should be elevated off the bench to replace the suspended Bataille. Van Bommel should otherwise see no reason to change a successful formula.
AEK Athens 1 – 1 Royal Antwerp
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