Aris Thessaloniki defeated Anagennisi Karditsa 2-0 in the Qualifying Round of the Cup on Sunday. The visitors controlled the match from start to finish, with possession statistics confirming their dominance on the pitch. Anagennisi managed just one-third of the ball throughout the encounter, which proved costly against a superior opposition.
R. Mir opened the scoring in the thirty-sixth minute, giving Aris an early advantage. The goal came after sustained pressure from the away side, who had already registered eleven corners by that stage. To be fair, Anagennisi's defensive shape held firm for most of the first half before the breakthrough.
N. Fadiga doubled the lead in the forty-ninth minute, extending Aris's comfortable position. The Greek side had been patient in attack, probing for openings rather than forcing the issue. And here's the thing — they finally found a way through when the home defence grew tired under constant pressure.
The match became more chaotic in the second half, with both an own goal and another strike coming in quick succession. P. Anastasopoulos turned the ball into his own net in the sixty-sixth minute, compounding Anagennisi's problems. A further goal followed in the sixty-seventh minute, though the scorer remains unrecorded in the available data.
The statistics tell a stark story of the encounter. Aris registered eight shots on target compared to Anagennisi's two, while the home side managed only one shot off target all evening. Possession figures of seventy-five per cent versus twenty-five per cent summarise the gulf between the two sides. Shots off target were four for Aris against one for the hosts.
This result sends Aris through to the next round of the Cup competition. Anagennisi's recent form has been disappointing, with only one draw in their last five matches across all competitions. By then, the gap in quality between these two sides was evident for anyone watching.