AEK Athens kicked off the inaugural Sydney Festival of Football on Sunday with a 5-3 win over Sydney FC at Sydney Football Stadium.
The Sky Blues twice came from a goal down thanks to strikes from the newly re-signed Alex Brosque but AEK proved to strong in the second half.
AEK take eight points for the win – three points for a win and a point for each goal – while Sydney FC takes three.
The match began quietly with neither team taking control of the game. Both teams attempted to build up play through the midfield but neither could capitalise with a decent shot on target.
In fact the first respectable shot on target was not until 19th minute after Panagiotis Lagos darted through the midfield, passing the ball to his left and the receiving the ball back but Lagos could only hit the ball straight to goal keeper Ivan Necevski.
The game came to life in the 30th minute when Nikos Lyberopulos received the ball from a throw-in passing the ball onto Brazilian Leonardo who powerfully hit the ball low and into the goal.
AEK’s lead was short lived as Brosque equalised within two minutes after AEK’s captain, Pantelis Kafes, handballed in the box after a Sydney corner during the 32nd minute. Referee Ben Williams awarded Sydney the penalty and Brosque equalised, sending AEK’s Ioannis Arambatzis the wrong way.
It was not long until AEK regained the lead when in the 37th minute Kafes headed a corner from Pereira to the far side of goal where Ismael Blanco successfully headed the ball into the goals, giving AEK a 2-1 lead – one they would take into halftime.
Seven minutes into the second half, Sydney again levelled the scores, this time equalising in the most bizarre fashion after Kostas Manolas back passed to keeper Arampatzis.
With Brosque bearing down, Arampatzis attempted to pass back to Manolas only to slip at the crucial moment, tapping the ball straight to Brosque. Already on the ground, Arampatzis could do nothing as Brosque pushed the ball into the net.
From there, however, AEK asserted its dominance. They re-established their advantage in the 59th minute when Niko Lyberopoulos pounced on a Sydney FC turnover on the half way line. Sprinting up the midfield on quick counter attack, Lyberopoulos passed left to Ignacio Scocco who passed back to Lyberopoulos, who curled home the goal after running the full half of the field.
AEK extended the lead after jumping a soft back pass. Ingnacio Scocco intercepted the pass, hitting the ball past Necevski to give the Greek side a 4-2 lead.
AEK scored their fifth of the match with an impressive midfield play. Lagos passed the ball left to Lyberopulos who hit the ball goalwards. Necevski parried the ball away from danger only for AEK’s Kafes to volley the ball back into the goal.
Sydney pulled on back in the 89th minute when Rhyan Grant lobbed the ball in from left field finding triallist Ibrahima Thiam unmarked on the far goal post. The 198cm tall Senegalese striker, who only arrived in the country on Friday, headed the ball strongly under pressure into the goal.