AEK Athens succumbed to its fifth consecutive loss in this season’s Europa League on Thursday, going down 1-2 to Belgian side Anderlecht at the Athens Olympic Stadium.
Two first half strikes by Guillaume Gillet, either side of Dimitris Sialmas’s equaliser, earned the already-qualified visitors a narrow victory that enabled them to stretch their Group L lead over Nikos Kostenoglou’s side to 15 points. Anderlecht took the lead with their first attack, a swift move down the left flank involving Behrang Safari and Kanu catching the home defence square.
The Brazilian delivered a low cross that eluded all but Gillet, who scored with ease at the far post. Soon after Anderlecht could have doubled their lead but for a fine save by Dimitris Konstantopoulos from Marcin Wasilewski’s header. Though they had threatened little, AEK drew level on 19 minutes when Australian Nathan Burns burst down the right, and crossed for Sialmas, who controlled the deflected ball and dispatched a low shot on the turn past Silvio Proto. Anderlecht’s Milan Jovanovic and Matias Suarez were both denied by Konstantopoulos following fine pieces of individual skill, but Gillet restored the visitors’ lead on 36 minutes, rising above two defenders to head in a left-wing cross by Roland Juhasz.
AEK raised their game after the break, the lively substitute Leonardo sending a low free-kick at Proto before Sialmas broke through on goal only to poke his shot just wide, and Leonardo was twice more stopped by the visiting goalkeeper.
