AEL earned a 3-1 victory against Athens Kallithea at the El Paso stadium on Monday to secure qualification for the League Phase of the Superbet Greek Cup.
Team captain Kostas Papageorgiou scored twice for the visitors before late goals from Manias and Albanis rounded off the victory.
The result ensures that head coach Sokratis Ofrydopoulos and his squad advance to join the 16 teams competing in the main phase of the tournament.
First half opportunities and penalty opener
Athens Kallithea started the match with strong intent on home soil and created the first major scoring chance in the 14th minute. Providakis delivered an impressive free kick, forcing AEL goalkeeper Venetikidis to execute a crucial save.
Four minutes later, the home side threatened again when Romo directed a header narrowly wide of the target. Athens Kallithea maintained pressure across much of the opening period.
AEL responded in the 25th minute with a significant opportunity of their own. Midfielder Andrada found space in a dangerous area but sent his shot wide from an excellent position.
Despite having less control over the general flow of play, the visitors broke the deadlock right before the interval. Nitsos won a penalty in the 45th minute, which Papageorgiou converted to give AEL a 1-0 lead at half-time.
Second half control and late counter-attack
The visiting side effectively managed the tempo after the restart, restricting passing lanes and keeping the host team at bay. AEL extended their advantage in the 53rd minute when Papageorgiou scored from close range to double the lead to 2-0.
Athens Kallithea committed additional players forward in the final quarter of the match. The introduction of substitute striker Manias in the 73rd minute provided an immediate attacking boost for the home side.
Manias reduced the deficit in the 87th minute with a composed finish to make it 2-1. However, any hopes of a late comeback were ended during stoppage time.
In the third minute of injury time, AEL launched a swift counter-attack. Substitute Albanis capitalized on the space to score with a clean shot, securing a 3-1 victory and qualification for the Larissa-based side.
Club ownership and competition history
AEL achieved qualification despite having limited preparation time following a recent change in club ownership. Head coach Ofrydopoulos and the new management team had identified reaching the League Phase as a primary target.
The Thessalian club had reached this stage after defeating Trikala in the previous round. AEL holds significant historical success in the competition, having won the Greek Cup twice.
The match was officiated by referee Touloumis from the Evia association at the El Paso ground in Kallithea.
Match lineups and substitutions
Athens Kallithea were coached by Vangelis Moras and lined up with Angelopoulos in goal, who was replaced by Kaliaros in the 57th minute. The starting outfield players were Matijevic, Mladen, Anastasiou, Provydakis (replaced by Frosynis in the 83rd minute), Bautista (replaced by Varkas in the 73rd minute), Faitakis, Tzandaris, Romo (replaced by Manias in the 73rd minute), Lopez, and Kontonikos (replaced by Candillo in the 57th minute).
AEL were coached by Sokratis Ofrydopoulos and started with Venetikidis in goal. The outfield lineup featured Agapakis (replaced by Lelekas in the 71st minute), Bousis, Karagiannidis, Risvanis (replaced by Tselepidis in the 71st minute), Papageorgiou (replaced by Sakic in the 71st minute), Noikokyrakis, Makris (replaced by Albanis in the 80th minute), Tsingaras, Andrada, and Nitsos (replaced by Ztoupis in the 64th minute).
