Levadiakos beat Asteras Tripoli 2:0 in the Cup qualifying round on Monday in a match that turned on a single moment in the first half. A. Urzi scored both goals after J. Silva was sent off, and the visitors never really recovered from losing a man.
The turning point came at minute 34 when Silva picked up a red card for the away side. To be fair, the hosts had been probing all evening, but the dismissal changed the shape of things entirely. By then, Urzi had already been making runs in behind, though the finish would have to wait.
Seven minutes after the break in proceedings, Urzi finally got his reward. He buried the chance from close range, and the home crowd lifted. The goal gave the match a different complexion — suddenly the visitors needed something to happen, and time was running out.
Urzi completed his brace at minute 63, putting the result beyond doubt. He had been a menace all night, and now he had two goals to show for it. The away side dug in for the final half hour but could not find a way back into the contest.
The statistics tell a straightforward story. Levadiakos enjoyed 54 per cent possession and registered nine shots to the visitors' four, with four on target compared to two. They created more chances, and they took them when it mattered most.
Recent form suggests the hosts were not without question marks going into this tie. They had lost 3:0 to Aris Thessaloniki in their last outing, but this performance offered a different kind of answer. The result keeps them in the hunt for the next round.