Who would have thought that the confrontations with the Antwerp They will be more passable for AEK than against Dinamo Zagreb, obviously that’s what he dreamed of. His team can Mark van Bommel Although they don’t have the quality of the Croatians, they remain a strong team that relies mainly on their excellent defensive ability. And that was the case on Tuesday night at the Boswill Stadium, where they withstood pressure from AEK to claim the win 1-0, struggling with 10 players for almost a half.

The truth is that it wasn’t easy for Union to play such a demanding game three days after the previous one, especially considering the development of the game against Croatian team in OPAP Arena. However, if you want to take part in the groups of the Champions League, you have to constantly push yourself. The first was against the Croatians, but it wasn’t enough. And it seems that the Belgians will also sell their Tomari very expensively in Athens and aim for a historic qualification.

The inaction on the defensive paid off again

AEK is called upon to reverse the situation in order to get the coveted ticket. Of course, to achieve that, he needs to immediately fix some competitive issues, particularly in midfield, which are costing them goals and (as it turns out) defeats. The yellow-blacks entered the field sluggishly for the third straight game, preferring to wait for Antwerp than to press high and impose their game.

The game might have been fairly even in the opening minutes, but AEK saw their opponents score in the game’s first good moment, taking advantage of Ehsan Hadjisafi’s misjudgment of the phase, but also the fact that the superb Vermeeren was able to pass unhindered through the height of the semicircle.

Something similar happened in the game against Dinamo, when Petkovic fired in a cross at Ljubisic to make the Croatians 2-0, where a player should have been. More generally, in all three games AEK have played in Europe this year, there has been a gap in midfield, which allows opponents to move with the ball without pressure and thus have the time to make the best decision .

Double the cost of Garcia’s injury

This time Orbelin Pineda was in midfield alongside Damian Szymanski but their image was not good, resulting in the Pole (also on a card) being substituted at half-time. When the two key midfielders aren’t having a good night, it understandably impacts the rest of the squad. Of course, worrying for AEK is the fact that Sidibe seems prone to errors and is further behind compared to the others in the competition.

The only one who showed activity and awarded the first part for AEK was Nordin Amrabat, who acted like Bataille and gave Levi Garcia two good endgames. The Trinidad and Tobago striker was a lot more active than in the Dynamo games but was unlucky to injure himself just after the half-hour.

Garcia’s loss has cost AEK double as they lost their most dangerous player (they had played four finals up to that point) but at the same time lost their attacking momentum which has seen Antwerp recharge their batteries and the Had to cope better with the situation at the end of the first part.

The exclusion messed up AEK

Early in the second half, Jonsson’s introduction gave AEK more breath and more runs, while Gacinovic’s increased activation from the left had an immediate impact as the Serb won Bataille’s sending off in the 51st minute and allowed his side to come around with numerical superiority almost a half fight . And luckily, the Belgian’s tough defense didn’t cause any serious injury to ‘Gatsi’.

However, instead of helping AEK, the relegation actually disorganized them. Almeida’s players acted rashly, lost their heads in the final attempt and indulged in crosses that not only gave the Antwerp goalkeeper butter on the bread, but also the Belgian side’s defenders. At the same time, Van Bommel, knowing that AEK would rise up the pitch and push for the equalizer, threw a third stopper onto the pitch and changed the lineup to 3-5-1.

A move that absolutely worked for him, taking advantage of the apparent fatigue seen by AEK players. A tiredness that also led to hasty decisions. Almeida tried to change the situation in midfield, bringing Mandalo, Araujo and Eliasson, but places were not easy to find because of the… parked Antwerp bus. After relegation, Antwerp essentially played in their own third with two defensive zones.

The game in the OPAP Arena will be a different story

Eki Ponce, who came on for the injured Garcia, looked out of form and only threatened a header just before the end of the game. It’s evident that the Argentine is still looking for chemistry with his teammates, which Levi’s injury may require him to find immediately. Finally, Ponce lacks neither quality nor leadership.

Elements that AEK will certainly need in the rematch to be the team that celebrates qualifying. The Yellow-Blacks’ task won’t be easy and Matias Almeida knows that. But the match at the OPAP Arena will be a different story. AEK should not rush there, but qualify. In any case.