Dikefalo Derby Ends In Draw

It took only five minutes for the Dikefalo tou Vorra to expose the visitors’ lack of pace in defense, as former AEK player Vladimir Ivic slipped Bosnia and Herzegovina international Zlatan Muslimovic into the penalty area. The former Serie A striker took the ball around goalkeeper Sebastian Saja before sliding the ball towards an empty net, only to see Sotiris Kyrgiakos arrive at the near-post to provide a last-ditch clearance for the Kitrinomavri. 

The powerful center-back and his team-mates were collectively at fault ten minutes later however, as the home side were rewarded for their aggressive start to the match. Argentine midfielder Ricardo Veron played a delicate through ball for the effervescent Muslimovic, who managed to stay onside with the AEK defensive line flat-footed. The striker latched onto the ball and produced a wonderful finish, this time opting to chip it over the advancing Saja and into the back of an unguarded net. 

A lethargic AEK defense was struggling to deal with the movement of the former Atalanta man, who featured for his country during World Cup Qualifiers last week. 

In attack, the Dikefalos Aetos were similarly lacking in inspiration, with their best chance arriving after 24’ minutes. Edinho burst through midfield with a positive run before being brought down illegally outside of the penalty area by Sotiris Balafas. Greece international Angelos Basinas stepped up to take the resulting free-kick but sent his effort well over the wall and the goal of fellow representative Konstantinos Chalkias. 

It was a first-half during which the Athenian outfit failed to establish any passing rhythm, in contrast to the quick, confident movement of the ball by the hosts. 

The pattern of the match was made obsolete on the stroke of half-time however, as AEK silenced the Thessaloniki crowd with an equalizer. 

It arrived in slightly odd circumstances, as Edinho latched onto a long ball just outside the penalty area before seeing it fall to team-mate Pliatsikas. The 20 year-old attempted to play a through ball to Ignacio Scocco on the left-hand side of the area but saw his pass ricochet of a PAOK defender in the opposite direction, falling kindly to Blanco inside the box with the defense wrong-footed. The Argentine striker took the ball around Chalkias before firing the ball low into an empty net to send the two sides into the break with the score locked at 1-1. 

Neither side was able to consistently create for itself clear goal-scoring opportunities during a second-half plagued by fouls and errors in possession. AEK manager Donis introduced both of his new signings at half-time however, with Djebbour taking the place of Pliatsikas and Pelletieri replacing Antonis Rikka. 

The first notable chance of the second period fell to Sotiris Kyrgiakos after 13’ minutes of play, appropriately from a set-piece that Nacho Scocco had curled into the area from the right flank. The defender stretched and managed to get his head onto the ball, out-muscling his marker but seeing his effort glanced well wide of Chalkias’ right post. 

PAOK fashioned a response four minutes later, as Conceicao’s deep cross from the right touch-line was left by Ivic for team-mate Vieirinha on the edge of the penalty box. The former Porto man controlled the ball with his chest before unleashing a dipping volley that just cleared Saja’s crossbar. 

The best chance of the match fell to the visitors however after a lapse in concentration by on-loan Panathinaikos defender Filipos Darlas with fifteen minutes remaining. The full-back controlled a cross from the left flank inside his own penalty area but held onto the ball for too long and allowed Scocco to steal possession from him. The Argentine only had Chalkias to beat from close-range but hit a weak shot from a bouncing ball straight on the Greek international, who palmed it away to safety. 
 

PAOK 1 (Muslimovic 15’)

AEK Athens 1 (Blanco 47’) 

Line-ups: 

PAOK: Chalkias, Darlas, Marcos Antonio, Conceicao, Muslimovic, Contreras (78’ Bizera), Vieirinha (85’ Lakis), Ivic (69’ Bakayoko), Veron, Balafas, Sznaucner 

AEK: Saja, Georgeas, Juanfran, Kyrgiakos, Majstorovic, Rikka (46’ Pelletieri), Pliatsikas (46’ Djebbour), Basinas, Scocco, Edinho (64’ Lagos), Blanco 
 

Chris Paraskevas