AEK has a qualitative difference to Antwerp and has to take advantage of it

AEK wasn’t harmed by Dinamo Zagreb, so a team that was significantly better and with more quality on the ball than Antwerp, but they were harmed in the first phase by the Belgian champions, who had the efficiency they lacked in the yellow and black .

The home side had two periods in the game, but they only managed to score on their first clean chance. Jansen needed just one chance with the ball to find the ball against Athanasiadis, while Levia Garcia squandered one chance after another as he had four moments to find the ball in the first half and until he was substituted off, both of which were were classic occasions.

At first glance, it must be said that the Union paid for their inefficiency in attack and inactivity by the fact that the hosts scored the only goal of the game in set pieces and against an organized defense, ie not through attacks in free space, which is what the case is the strength of her.

But despite the fact that Garcia went wide again – as in both games against the Croatians – his defeat cost the team dearly as it was clear the opposing defense could not handle him and he was at the forefront of attack stood and led everyone around him. They pressed the enemy area harder because they found the spaces to do so.

Of course, it’s not that Ponce didn’t try, but the difference was clear as the Argentine seemed far more detached from the team’s game than when Garcia was on the pitch.

A forward waiting to be fed and unable to be involved in the production process to the same extent, at least not now as he is still becoming accustomed to a style of football that he must read very well to become an integral part of it .

Given their image and the chances they created, one could say that this defeat is unfair to AEK, but in fact, the second half where they played one player more for 40 minutes was a condition they didn’t have used. The only goal they missed to bring the game to a draw never came as the Belgians proved very solid defensively despite all threats from Union.

Now he has a mountain to climb, because winning by a two-goal margin isn’t such an easy task against a team that knows how to defend well, but at the same time are in the spaces he’ll be looking for in New Philadelphia , extremely well developed , gives the ball to AEK and invites him to take risks.

But quality is what counts. They are a better team and have a chance to qualify as long as they show efficiency.

She will definitely find the phases as she does in every game. Getting the ball in the net is the goal and is identified as the main reason for not making it.