AEK FC has progressed to the Group Stage of the Europa League after defeating Scottish Premier League side Dundee United 2-1 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw in Athens.

Summer signing Papa Bouba Diop scored the opening goal of the match in a quiet first half in which AEK was the better side.

Jonathan Daly equalised for the Scottish side in the 78th minute, scoring from close range but AEK held on for the aggregate win.

The Scots were given a firm advantage with the match at the largely empty Karaiskakis Stadium played before only Dundee fans.

No AEK fans were allowed into the stadium, save for employees of the club and a handful of VIPs.

Olympiakos allowed AEK to play its game at their stadium after the surface of OAKA was deemed unplayable. But the Piraeus club imposed strict conditions upon AEK, insisting that no AEK fans were allowed in to watch the match.

UEFA weighed in to the debate, allowing the 350-500 Dundee fans that had travelled to Athens into the stadium to watch the game.

They did their best to support the team, making noise like it was a home game for them.

In contrast, AEK fans were forced to watch the match from afar – even the 14,000 or so season ticket holders and would-be thousands of patrons who had bought match tickets when the tie was scheduled for OAKA.

AEK coach Dusan Bajevic made several surprise selections, with Papa Bouba Diop taking a starting role in the midfield.

AEK completely dominated the opening proceedings forcing Dundee on the back foot from early on.

Leonardo had an early attempt at goal, while Panagiotis Lagos and Nacho Scocco all had attempts within the opening ten minutes but could not score.

Defensive frailties began to show for the Scottish side, with AEK’s pressure forcing Dundee United to turn over pressure cheaply on more than one occasion.

Indeed pressure by Leonardo pushing up the ground forced a Dundee defender to head the ball out, leading to an AEK’s corner in the 22nd minute.

From the resultant dead ball, Leonardo delivered an out-swinging corner, Jahic flick-on and Papa Bouba at the far post slammed home AEK’s first goal.

The second period had little to excite the few fans in the stadium.

In the 63rd minute, Dundee had its best chance of the tie after a Dundee shirt brought down the ball with an athletic bicycle kick, but Daly missed a sitter with the open goal begging.

AEK had one of its rare second half efforts on goal after Scocco picked up a loose ball at the top of the box in the 72nd minute.

Creating space with a burst of explosive pace inside the left side of the penalty box, his low and hard shot was parried out for a corner.

After coming on as a substitute, Ismael Blanco fired well wide when he could have done better after receiving a searching ball from the half way line in the 76th minute.

But moments later, the complexion of the tie changed dramatically.

Daly controlled an excellent ball in the heart of AEK’s defence that the advancing Sebastian Saha could do little about and Jahic was unable to clear from the goal line.

The goal woke Dundee fans who along with their side, sensed a dramatic comeback was on the cards.

Swansea went close to giving Dundee the aggregate lead, after volleying a loose ball wide of Saha’s right hand post with the AEK custodian well beaten.

But AEK held on for a 2-1 aggregate win, with a performance the club would prefer to forget.