FC Vaslui 2-1 AEK Athens: Wesley Double Edges Out Greeks

Romanian outfit FC Vaslui will hold a slender lead heading into the second leg of their Europa League play-off tie against AEK Athens, after scoring a 2-1 victory at home this evening.

A double from Brazilian Wesley was enough to get Cristian Dulca’s men over the line in a fairly even contest, with the first half belonging to the home side and the second belonging to the visitors.

It is the Greeks who will be confident of progressing through to the group stages of the competition though after grabbing a crucial away goal courtesy of an Ismael Blanco penalty – though they will now need to win in the return leg to do so.

The hosts made a confident start to the match, as their opponents opted to sit deep and allow them time and space on the ball in wide areas in particular.

They might have taken advantage just 11 minutes into the match, when Brazilian midfielder Gerlem played an incisive one-two with a team-mate on the edge of the area, entering into the box but seeing his effort sharply smothered by the alert Sebastian Saja.

Five minutes later and Zimbabwean striker Mike Temwanjera was allowed to reach an angled ball into the box, though his first-time effort was skewed well wide of goal.

Dusan Bajevic’s men then responded with a period of their own attacking pressure and though it was concentrated, it perhaps should have yielded a goal on two separate occasions.

The first came about following some clever build-up play involving Gustavo Manduca, the former Benfica man flicking the ball into the path of Algerian striker Rafik Djebbour, who set himself but snatched at his shot and dragged it wide of ‘keeper Cristian Haisan’s left post.

On 24 minutes Ismael Blanco similarly rushed an effort after capitalizing on some particularly relaxed defending from the hosts, centre-back Daniel Majstorovic simply hoofing the ball up-field and seeing it flicked into the path of the Argentine striker.

Beating the offside trap, one of the Greek Super League’s top marksman from last season didn’t bother to advance any further on goal and mistimed his shot horribly with Haisan well off his line.

Brazilian Wesley would punish the Athenians for their wastefulness on 29 minutes though, heading home a corner from fellow countryman Gerlem.

Left criminally unmarked by the AEK defense – clearly struggling to deal with the sudden absence of departed talisman Sotiris Kyrgiakos – the former Deportivo Alaves man glanced his header past the outstretched Saja and in off the far post.

Some similarly poor defending only six minutes into the second half almost gifted the Greeks a crucial away goal, as the Vaslui defence failed to clear a free-kick curled into the area and Haisan’s punch only went as far as Grigoris Makos in the box.

The Greek international appeared almost surprised that the ball reached him, heading into the side-netting with the goal virtually unguarded.

Pushing for an equalizer, the otherwise anonymous Ismael Blanco then tested Haisan with a swerving effort from outside the effort, drawing a fine flying save from the Romanian goalkeeper.

Slowly beginning to take control of the game, AEK were eventually rewarded for their persistence on 68 minutes, after some industrious work from lone striker Ismael Blanco was rewarded when the move he began ended with Rafik Djebbour being brought down in the penalty area.

French referee Said Ennjimi didn’t hesitate in pointing to the spot and Blanco himself stepped up to send the ‘keeper the wrong way and level matters.

Despite having looked extremely comfortable during the entire second half, AEK shot themselves in the foot with just nine minutes of normal time remaining when Swedish international Daniel Majstorovic gave away a penalty with a mistimed challenge in the area.

Again Enjimi pointed to the spot and again the ‘keeper was sent the wrong way, Wesley coolly grabbing his second goal of the game to restore the home side’s advantage.

The Romanians now hold a slender lead heading into the second leg of the tie in Athens.

Chris Paraskevas, Goal.com

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