PAOK player Warda denies AEK victory at Atromitos

AEK wasted the chance of capitalizing fully on the trouble PAOK has put itself into with the canceled match against Olympiakos, as the Yellows could only draw 1-1 at Peristeri with high-flying Atromitos on Monday.

The match was fairly balanced and neither team appeared happy with the result, but AEK will feel it should have won this one given it got the lead halfway through the second half; Sergio Araujo scored on the counter attack, although Marko Livaja appeared offside when he fed the Argentine.

PAOK took heart for its title challenge from a player belonging to the Thessaloniki club, as on-loan attacking midfielder Amr Warda equalized for fourth-placed Atromitos 10 minutes from time with a spectacular swerving effort that found the back of Panayiotis Tsintotas’s net. In the first half Warda had been denied by AEK’s crossbar.

The result leaves AEK one point behind PAOK, but if – as expected – PAOK is deducted three points from the Sunday troubles at Toumba, AEK will be two points ahead on top.

Livaja received his seventh booking of the season and must miss two out of the next four league games.