Aris: The First 60 Minutes Can Be Explained, But What About the Other 30?

Aris’s 5-0 defeat at AEK became a match in two sharply different halves for the visitors. Until the 60th minute, Aris played poorly in general but still looked capable of returning to the game if it raised its pace. The final half-hour, however, brought a collapse that bore no resemblance to the team’s recent performances.

The final score can make the match look like complete AEK domination. But until 2-0, there were periods for both sides. The scoreline grew so large because an “Aris ghost” wandered through Nea Filadelfeia after the 60th minute, leaving behind the team that had shown character in Tripoli weeks earlier by coming back against Kalamata.

The difference in quality and readiness between the teams was clear. Still, the article calls it unacceptable for Aris to disappear after conceding a second goal, especially one it allowed cheaply. Unlike the earlier match against OFI, AEK punished the careless mistakes Aris made. Aris also suffered from using Souttalo and Jensen together for the first time, creating an imbalance in central defense.

Aris spent too long trying to build up from the back and handed AEK easy possession before finally moving into open space and showing what it needed to do to take something from the match. Even so, the game did not resemble a 5-0 contest until the collapse took hold.

The result is described as a shameful night and a case study, especially for the final 30 minutes. It should also push Aris to move for a central defender. The absence of Fabiano is difficult to cover, coach Grigoriou acknowledged, but the club cannot rely excessively on him this season. The defeat is heavy, the article says, but not a disaster. Aris has a long road ahead, and the loss should provoke a response both in the dressing room and at board level.

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It is a shameful night for Aris, which should become a case study, especially for the final half-hour of the match.