1-0 defeat to AEL for OFI, now looking to Panetolikos
Nikos Nitsos' goal in the 52nd minute gave the "crimson" a great victory and caused concern for OFI.
In a match for the 4th round of the Greek Cup, AEL defeated OFI 1-0 at home at the AEL FC Arena. The team from Larissa capitalized on one of their chances in the second half and secured the valuable result, defending bravely against the pressure from the Cretans.
The timeline and the decisive goal
The first half ended goalless, with both teams trying to find their rhythm. The turning point of the match came in the 52nd minute, when Nikos Nitsos combined with Alexandros Parra and sent the ball into the net for AEL's 1-0 lead.
Subsequently, OFI tried to react, making substitutions and increasing their offensive pressure, but the hosts' defense and goalkeeper Nikos Melissas kept a clean sheet until the final whistle of referee Fotis Polychronis.
The statistical picture of the match
OFI had superior ball possession with 62.19% compared to AEL's 37.81%, as well as the initiative with 24 total attempts (6 on target and 1 hitting the post). At the same time, the visitors earned 14 corners and completed 593 passes. However, AEL's effectiveness was what decided the game, with 3 shots on target out of 5 total, while Nikos Melissas made 6 important saves.
Regarding cards, the referee showed yellow cards to Thiago Nous (50') and Pavlos Kainourgiakis (58') for OFI, while for AEL, Christos Lelekas (60'), Giorgos Konstantakopoulos (90+1'), and Nikos Melissas (90+2') were cautioned.
Difficult mission in Agrinio
OFI now turns its attention to the Stoiximan Super League, where for the 9th matchday they will be tested at Panetolikos' home ground. The match will take place on Sunday, November 1st, at 18:00 in Agrinio, with Christos Kontis' team looking for another positive result after their victory over PAOK last Sunday.
