AEK march on in Europe with golden goal – Omonoia fall narrowly but stay alive

AEK Larnaca 1–0 Shkëndija

AEK Larnaca delivered a European night to remember, defeating Shkëndija 1–0 and qualifying directly for the Round of 16 of the UEFA Conference League. Angielski’s late winner in the 83rd minute proved decisive — and lucrative.

In one evening, AEK banked €1.6 million: €400,000 for the win, €400,000 for finishing in the top eight of the league phase, and a further €800,000 for securing automatic qualification to the last 16.

It capped an impressive campaign for Imanol Idiakez’s side, who recorded their third win of the competition and remained unbeaten, finishing 8th with 12 points. Their European journey now resumes in March.

AEK controlled much of the match, despite Shkëndija creating the first chance early on. Milicevic missed a big headed opportunity, while Ivanovic had a first-half goal ruled out for offside after a VAR check. The turning point came in the second half when Shkëndija were reduced to ten men following Latifi’s dismissal.

Pressure eventually told. From a corner, Ekpolo flicked on with a header and Angielski applied the finish from close range. AEK then managed the game comfortably to seal a historic qualification.

Omonoia 0–1 Raków

Omonoia were unable to end the Conference League league phase with a positive result, suffering a narrow 1–0 defeat to Raków at the GSP. However, the outcome was still enough to secure a top-24 finish and keep their European campaign alive into 2026, with qualification to the knockout play-offs.

In a match low on clear chances, Raków struck early in the second half when Repka headed home from a set piece in the 48th minute. Omonoia controlled possession for long spells but struggled to break down the Polish side’s defensive organisation.

As the game opened up after the 70th minute, Omonoia pushed hard for an equaliser. Evandro went close twice from distance, while Panagiotis Andreou and Evandro again both missed late opportunities — the latter with an improvised back-heel from close range.

Despite the defeat, Omonoia finish the league phase on eight points, enough to secure progression to the Conference League play-offs and extend their European season.