AEK Athens turned a goalless first leg into a 4-0 aggregate play-off win at OPAP Arena, with Barnabás Varga scoring twice before Răzvan Marin’s second-half penalty completed the job in normal time.
AEK Athens reached the Champions League league phase on Wednesday night after beating Levski Sofia 4-0 in the play-off second leg at OPAP Arena. With the first meeting having finished 0-0, the Greek side settled the tie emphatically in front of their own crowd.
AEK did not wait for the contest to develop slowly. Lovro Majer forced a save inside the opening minute, Luka Jović struck in the seventh, and Varga added two more before half-time to leave Levski chasing a game that had already tilted sharply away from them.
AEK Athens break the tie open before half-time
A goalless first leg had left the tie level, but AEK quickly made it feel one-sided. Majer’s early effort tested the goalkeeper almost immediately and the breakthrough followed in the seventh minute, when Lazaros Rota supplied Jović for the opener.
That goal removed any lingering caution. Five minutes later, Filipe Relvas delivered for Varga to make it 2-0, and AEK kept attacking with far more conviction than a side protecting parity from the first leg. By the 29th minute, Majer turned provider again and Varga finished once more to put the hosts 3-0 ahead on the night.
Levski had enough of the ball to suggest a response might come, finishing with 54 per cent possession, but their first-half moments lacked the precision the tie demanded. Everton, Aldair, Reinaldo and Kristian Dimitrov all failed to take their chances, so AEK went into the break not just ahead but fully in command of the aggregate score.
The visitors tried to start the second half with more urgency and Everton forced a save in the 47th minute. That was the clearest sign of a possible route back, yet it disappeared quickly. Marin was booked in the 51st minute and then, four minutes later, converted AEK’s penalty to make it 4-0.
Levski made a triple change on 63 minutes in an attempt to alter the rhythm, but the game had already settled into AEK’s preferred shape. David Kusso tested the goalkeeper in the 66th and 85th minutes, but both efforts were saved, and the closing stages passed without any late twist.
Varga and Jović set the tempo for AEK
Varga’s brace was the defining individual contribution, turning AEK’s attacking intent into a decisive advantage and leaving Levski unable to recover from the early pressure.
Majer’s role mattered too. His saved shot after barely a minute set the tone, and his assist for Varga’s second goal reflected how often AEK found the clearer attacking spaces even without controlling possession. While AEK’s 4-4-2 against Levski’s 4-3-3 offered a basic tactical framework, the more important point was the hosts’ directness: they got forward faster and with more consequence.
The numbers support that reading. AEK finished with 16 shots to Levski’s 10 and placed seven efforts on target to the visitors’ three, which fits the broader impression of a side creating the better openings rather than simply enjoying longer spells on the ball.
What comes next for AEK Athens and Levski Sofia?
AEK now move into the Champions League league phase after completing a 4-0 aggregate play-off victory. The draw takes place in Monaco on Thursday 27 August, with the fixture list and kick-off times due to be confirmed by Saturday 29 August. The league phase itself begins on Tuesday 8 September.
Before that, AEK return to domestic action at home to Kifisia FC on Sunday 30 August at 19:00 BST. Levski Sofia are also back in league action that day, away to Botev Plovdiv at 17:00 BST.
