UEFA Champions League qualifying: AEK Athens score two goals in added time to snatch play-off spot from Dinamo Zagreb
/dnl.tntsports.co.uk/sd/img/placeholder/tnt_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Updated 19/08/2023 at 23:22 GMT+1
Into added time and heading out of Champions League qualifying, AEK Athens stunned Croatian counterparts Dinamo Zagreb with two late goals to snatch the final play-off spot. Sergio Araujo kept AEK Athens’ hopes alive with a 92nd-minute strike to level the tie before Domagoj Vida stole the winner after 102 minutes. The Greek side will face Royal Antwerp for a spot in the 2023-24 group stages.
'Good chance, good goal!' - City take lead following brilliant Alvarez strike
AEK Athens secured the final Champions League qualifying spot in sensational fashion, scoring twice in added time to turn the tie against Dinamo Zagreb on its head, winning 4-3 on aggregate.
With the tie itself delayed after a fan was fatally stabbed ahead of the original first-leg match, only one play-off spot remained with the other 11 teams’ fates decided on Tuesday.
Josip Sutalo put Zagreb ahead on the stroke of half-time, and Robert Ljubicic doubled the visitors' lead after an hour to put the tie firmly in the Croatian’s control.
With 92 minutes on the clock and Zagreb leading 3-2 on aggregate - and 2-0 on the night - it looked as though AEK Athens’ European journey would end in Greece.
But Sergio Araujo struck two minutes into added time to level matters, only for Domagoj Vida to score the winner 10 minutes later - in the 102nd minute - to put the Greek side into the play-offs.
The game finished 2-2 on Saturday, but AEK Athens progressed 4-3 on aggregate.
They will play Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp in the final play-off round for a spot in the 2023/24 group stages.
Champions League play-off fixtures
- Royal Antwerp (BEL) vs AEK Athens (GRE)
- Raków Czestochowa (POL) vs Copenhagen (DEN)
- Rangers (SCO) vs PSV Eindhoven (NED)
- Maccabi Haifa (ISR) vs Young Boys (SUI)
- Molde (NOR) vs Galatasaray (TUR)
- Braga (POR) vs Panathinaikos (GRE)
- - -
TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Heineken Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media
Related Topics
Share this article