[ad_1]
Status: 10/01/2020 10:46 pm
Wolfsburg missed entry to the group stage of the Europa League. VfL lost the play-off match at AEK Athens 1: 2 (1: 0).
The sports association Constantinople, which is the German translation of the name of the club Athlitiki Enosi Konstantinoupoleos, was the expected tough rival for the Bundesliga club. The twelve-time Greek champions would often stand on their feet from Lower Saxony when the ball was accepted, leading the duels with determination and trying to save midfield quickly and without frills. Rarely was it really fluid what coach Massimo Carrera’s team managed to achieve in the forward movement. But it still seemed a bit more well thought out than Wolfsburg’s mostly uninspired offensive efforts in the first section.
Pervan stops the grief
The factory club owed its goalkeeper Pavao Pervan not having to run after a deficit. The representative of the injured starting goalkeeper Koen Casteels saved a Petros Mantalos penalty in the 20th minute. According to referee Artur Dias (Portugal), Xaver Schlager had already knocked down Nenad Krsticic. A decision that is at least worth discussing. Be that as it may: AEK’s offensive swing was lost a little later. The events at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, which was almost deserted due to the coronavirus pandemic (no spectators were allowed), took place mainly between the penalty areas.
Mehmedi does it with guts
Injury time was already running when Josip Brekalo saw his teammate Admir Mehmedi quite free, he played it perfectly and the Swiss hit with a direct shot to the far corner (45 + 1).
Simoes fabulous for 1: 1
Additional Information
After the break, it initially seemed that VfL could handle the result without major problems. Athens tried hard, AEK failed almost as much. But the Greeks were not discouraged and were rewarded for their hard work with the dream goal from their captain André Simões: the 30-year-old Portuguese hit the upper right corner about 25 meters from him (64). The “wolves” then tried to force their offensive game a bit again. The emphasis is on “proven”. Because more than a free kick from Maximilian Arnold from quite a distance, which Panagiotis Tsintotas took away with his fist (86), did not arise from his attacking efforts.
Athens “Joker” Ansarifard pica
Everything pointed to a prolongation of the hard discussion when the “Joker” of Athens, Karim Ansarifard, prevailed on the left, irresistibly penetrated the penalty area of the VfL and defeated Pervan with a shot to the nearby corner (90º + 4º) . Shortly afterwards, referee Dias whistled and ended Wolfsburg’s trip to Europe. This year it was a short trip.
Matchday 5, October 1, 2020 at 8:45 p.m.
Additional Information
