Marcelinho signs Xanthi’s first ever Euro win
Xanthi overturned Linfield’s advantage from the first leg to win 2-1 in extra time in Belfast and advance to the third qualifying round of the Europa League on Thursday. It has now set up a clash with Belgian powerhouse Standard Liege.
The first ever victory for Xanthi in European competitions came at its eighth game, courtesy of its Brazilian midfielder, Marcelinho Leite, who scored both of the Greek team’s goals.
Linfield led 1-0 from the first leg in Greece a week earlier, but Marcelinho evened things up 27 minutes into the return leg at Windsor Park.
Xanthi was forced to play with 10 men from the end of the first half when Costas Fliskas received his marching orders.
The full-time whistle went with the score at 1-0, which meant extra time.
Linfield then scored in the ninth minute of extra time through captain Michael Gault, but as the first half drew to a close Marcelinho took a corner kick and he was set up by Serge Aristide Die to score his and Xanthi’s second on the night, for the final 2-1.
