AEK was electrifying for an hour against Inter Escaldes, but with their own carelessness, they conceded three goals and go to Andorra with a slim lead in the score (4-3).
AEK was what it should have been for just one hour, and due to criminal negligence at the end, they conceded three goals, causing the score to go from 4-0 to 4-3, leading to a potential struggle in the return match. Thus, in the return leg on August 1 in Andorra, they will need to defend their lead to qualify for the third qualifying round of the Conference League.
The yellow-blacks had four scorers: Lioubitchits, Garcia, Gatsinovits, and Mukundi, with Livai also missing a penalty in the 75th minute. Vida scored an own goal for Inter Escaldes, and Andreu and Martinez set the final score.
Union opened the scoring just in the sixth minute. Livai Garcia delivered a nice cross from the left to Lioubitchits in the box, who had no problem finishing and sending the ball into the net.
The second goal for the yellow-blacks came in the 20th minute. Strakosha quickly executed a free kick in his area, and Livai Garcia broke away for a counterattack. Initially, Munoz stopped him, but the forward from Trinidad and Tobago picked up the rebound and sent it into the net.
A few minutes later, Miyat Gatsinovits raised the score to 3-0 with a nice shot from the edge of the area, following a cross from Rota and a won duel by Jonsson.
In the second half, the yellow-blacks found a fourth goal with Mukundi in the 52nd minute. Eliason took the corner, and the Cameroonian center-back headed the ball into the net.
At that point, the Union relaxed excessively and paid for it. Initially, in the 65th minute, Inter Escaldes reduced the score with an own goal from Vida, who miscommunicated with Strakosha and inadvertently sent the ball into his own net.
At the end, after AEK missed a penalty with Livai Garcia in the 73rd minute, Inter Escaldes reduced the score to 4-2 after a penalty conceded by Strakosha. Andreu took the shot and made it 4-2.
In the 83rd minute, they scored a third goal with Viti Martinez, following a poor clearance from Mukundi and a nice shot from inside the area.
In the first half, they were overwhelming
AEK started strong early in the match, clearly being the best team on the pitch. In the 5th minute, they had their first big chance of the match. Lioubitchits took a shot, Munoz stopped him, and Gatsinovits couldn’t score from close range.
One minute later, they found the goal they were looking for through Lioubitchits, after a nice cross from Livai Garcia. The yellow-blacks continued in the same pattern and had chances with Mukundi in the 11th minute and Lioubitchits a minute later, but the Andorran keeper stopped both.
In the 20th minute, the second goal for the Union came after a quick free kick execution by Strakosha, with Garcia scoring from a second chance. The third goal did not take long, as Gatsinovits scored in the 31st minute with a nice finish inside the box.
The yellow-blacks had opportunities even towards the end of the first half, with Eliason in the 45+1 minute, which Munoz stopped, and Lioubitchits’ attempt a minute later from inside the six-yard box, which went wide.
Inter Escaldes punished their negligence
In the second half, Inter Escaldes threatened first with the Frenchman Lopes, who broke through one-on-one, but Strakosha intercepted him and stopped the attack.
The yellow-blacks found the goal they were looking for with Mukundi in the 52nd minute, following a corner kick from Eliason, laying the foundations for the victory, but then short-circuited.
After the 60th minute, they started to pay for their mistakes. Initially, Vida, in an effort to return the ball towards the goal, “lobbed” Strakosha, who was applauded by the crowd.
In the 73rd minute, AEK won a penalty after a speedy advance from Livai Garcia, who was fouled by the goalkeeper. However, Munoz outsmarted him from the penalty spot. Five minutes later, Inter Escaldes scored with Andreu’s penalty.
Inter Escaldes didn’t stop there, as in the 83rd minute, they scored another goal with Viti Martinez, reducing the score to 4-3, which was also the final score. During this period, Union mainly threatened with Koita, who had entered the match, but despite good chances, couldn’t find the back of the net.
After the 4-3, AEK tried to find another goal to increase their margin from the defeat, having several attempts to score. None found the target, and the score remained 4-3 until the end.
AEK: Strakosha, Rota, Vida, Mukundi, Hatzisafi (75′ Mandalos), Simanski (64′ Galanopoulos), Jonsson, Gatsinovits (64′ Koita), Eliason (64′ Fernandez), Lioubitchits, Garcia (75′ Amrabat).
Inter Escaldes: Munoz, Gayego, Puentes (89′ Erman), Feher, Torres (63′ Sanchez), Elo (46′ Martinez), Alonso, Bucharma (63′ Andreu), Berlangka, Jean-Luc (19′ de la Torre), Lopes.