AEK holds Austria to make the last 32 of Europa League
AEK did its way and qualified to the last 32 of the Europa League, as it secured yet another draw, the fifth in six group games, holding Austria to a 0-0 result in Vienna on Thursday.
The Athens team finished runner-up in its group, with eight points from six matches, and will be the only Greek team to continue in Europe after Christmas. On Monday it will be in the draw of the first knock-out stage among the unseeded teams.
In Vienna AEK started well and tried to put pressure on a defense that had conceded 16 goals in five group games. It missed a couple of chances in the first quarter, but then the hosts enjoyed more possession and put pressure on the Greeks.
The good defensive set-up of AEK allowed it to hold on at the back as the Austrians grew frustrated. The visitors even got close to scoring a goal three minutes from the end, but Dmytro Chygrynskiy could not connect with the ball from close range.
It did not matter in the end though, as AEK snatched the result it needed to finish second and can look forward to at least two more European games this season.
