AEK vs Áris: Resumen

AEK Athens secured their place in the next round of the UEFA Europa Conference League with a convincing 3-1 victory over Áris Lemesoú at the Agia Sophia Stadium on August 14, 2025. Following a 2-2 draw in the first leg in Cyprus, the Greek side showed their superiority on home soil to advance with a 5-3 aggregate score.

The atmosphere at the iconic Agia Sophia Stadium was electric as local supporters created a cauldron of noise to inspire their team. Over 25,000 fans packed the venue, creating a truly intimidating environment for the visitors from Cyprus. The stakes couldn't have been higher with a place in the play-off round of the Conference League at stake.

Marko Nikolić's men controlled proceedings from the outset, with Roberto Pereyra pulling the strings in midfield. The Argentine playmaker was instrumental in creating numerous chances for the home side, demonstrating why he's become such a vital component of this AEK side since his arrival. Frantzdy Pierrot proved to be the hero of the night, netting twice to put the tie beyond Áris Lemesoú's reach.

This result continues AEK's promising European campaign as they now advance to the play-off round, just one step away from the group stages of the UEFA Europa Conference League. For Áris Lemesoú, despite their valiant effort across both legs, their European journey ends here, though they can hold their heads high after pushing a stronger opponent to the limit, particularly in the first leg.

"I'm extremely satisfied with how we approached this second leg. After the disappointment of not winning in Cyprus, we needed to show our quality at home. The players responded magnificently, showing patience and maturity. Securing our place in the play-off round was our minimum objective, and we've achieved that with a professional performance," stated Marko Nikolić, AEK's coach.

"We gave everything across both legs, but ultimately AEK's quality and experience at this level showed. I'm proud of my players for their effort and commitment. This European experience will be valuable for our development as a club," reflected Arciom Radźkoŭ, Áris Lemesoú's manager.

"The atmosphere was incredible tonight. Our fans gave us that extra energy we needed. After the draw in the first leg, we knew we had to deliver a big performance at home. Everyone was focused from the first minute, and we deserved to go through," said Petros Mantalos, AEK's captain.

"Playing against a team of AEK's caliber across two legs has been a valuable experience for us. We showed in the first leg that we can compete at this level. Tonight was difficult, but we'll learn from this and come back stronger," commented Giorgi Kvilitaia, Áris Lemesoú's forward.

Possession: AEK dominated the ball with 62% possession compared to Áris Lemesoú's 38%.

Shots: The home side registered 18 shots with 9 on target, while the visitors managed just 7 attempts with 3 testing AEK goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha.

Corners: AEK forced 7 corner kicks throughout the match, compared to just 2 for Áris.

Disciplinary: The match saw 4 yellow cards in total, with 1 for AEK (Harold Moukoudi) and 3 for Áris Lemesoú (Steeve Yago, Connor Goldson, and Charalampos Charalampous).

Individual Brilliance: Frantzdy Pierrot was the standout performer with 2 goals from 4 shots on target, while Roberto Pereyra completed an impressive 87% of his passes and provided 2 assists. For Áris, Mihlali Mayambela worked tirelessly, completing 5 successful dribbles, the most of any player on the pitch.

Defensive Performance: AEK's defensive pairing of Filipe Relvas and Harold Moukoudi made a combined 9 clearances and 3 blocks, limiting Áris to few clear opportunities. The visitors struggled to contain AEK's attacking threat, particularly down the flanks where Llazaros Rota and James Penrice provided constant width and delivered 11 crosses between them.

15': AEK opened the scoring when Roberto Pereyra's delicate through ball found Frantzdy Pierrot, who calmly slotted past Zine Vaná to give the hosts an early advantage (1-0).

32': Against the run of play, Áris Lemesoú equalized through Giorgi Kvilitaia, who capitalized on a rare defensive lapse from AEK to level the scores (1-1).

41': AEK regained the lead just before halftime when Petros Mantalos converted from the penalty spot after Orbelín Pineda was brought down in the box by Steeve Yago, who received a yellow card for the challenge (2-1).

58': Marko Nikolić made a tactical adjustment, bringing on Ross McCausland for Llazaros Rota, shifting to a more attacking formation as AEK pushed for a third goal to secure the tie.

67': The tactical change paid dividends as Frantzdy Pierrot scored his second of the night, heading home a precise cross from Răzvan Marin to extend AEK's lead (3-1).

75': Áris coach Arciom Radźkoŭ responded with a double substitution, introducing Anderson Correia and Adam Markhiev in a desperate attempt to get back into the contest.

88': Despite pushing forward in the closing stages, Áris couldn't find a way through AEK's resolute defense, with Thomas Strakosha making a spectacular save to deny Mihlali Mayambela's long-range effort.

Prior to this two-legged tie, AEK Athens and Áris Lemesoú had never met in competitive European action. This historic first encounter between the Greek and Cypriot sides produced seven goals across two entertaining matches.

The first leg in Cyprus ended in a 2-2 draw, with Áris showing impressive resilience on home soil. The return fixture in Athens saw AEK assert their superiority with a 3-1 victory, giving them a 5-3 aggregate win.

Across both matches, several key individual battles emerged. AEK's Roberto Pereyra dominated the midfield contests against Andronikos Kakoulli, creating numerous chances and registering three assists across the two legs. In defense, Connor Goldson had a particularly challenging time containing Frantzdy Pierrot, who scored three goals in the tie, including two in the decisive second leg.

The tactical battle between coaches Marko Nikolić and Arciom Radźkoŭ was equally fascinating. Nikolić's experience at the European level ultimately proved decisive, with his second-leg tactical adjustments helping AEK overcome a spirited Áris side.

This inaugural meeting between the clubs reinforces the competitive nature of these Conference League qualifiers, with teams from smaller footballing nations like Cyprus increasingly capable of challenging those from more established leagues like Greece.

As this was a UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying tie, there isn't a league table as such, but the result has significant implications for both clubs' European campaigns.

AEK Athens now advances to the play-off round of the Conference League, where they will face one of the other qualifying round winners. A victory in that two-legged tie would secure their place in the group stage of the competition, representing a significant achievement for Marko Nikolić's side and potentially bringing important revenue to the club.

Áris Lemesoú exits European competition for the 2025/26 season and will now focus their attention on domestic challenges in the Cypriot First Division. Despite their elimination, reaching the third qualifying round represents a respectable achievement for the club from Limassol.

In the broader context of the Conference League, AEK joins several other clubs from Europe's mid-tier leagues who are hoping to make an impact in UEFA's third-tier club competition. The Greek side will be considered among the stronger teams remaining in the qualifying process, with their sights firmly set on reaching the group stages.