2018 Greek Football Cup final explained

2018 Greek Cup final
Event:2017–18 Greek Football Cup
Team1:AEK Athens
Team1score:0
Team2:PAOK
Team2score:2
Date:12 May 2018
Stadium:Olympic Stadium
City:Marousi, Athens
Referee:David Fernández Borbalán (Spain)
Attendance:35,545
Weather:Fair
19°C
40% humidity
Previous:2017
Next:2019

The 2018 Greek Cup final was the 74th final of the Greek Cup. It took place on 12 May 2018 at Olympic Stadium, between AEK Athens and PAOK[1] for a second time in row. It was AEK Athens' twenty third Greek Cup final and third consecutive, of their 94-year history and PAOK's nineteenth Greek Cup final and second consecutive, in their 92 years of existence.

Venue

This was the twenty third Greek Cup final held at the Athens Olympic Stadium, after the 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 finals.

The Athens Olympic Stadium was built in 1982 and renovated once in 2004. The stadium is used as a venue for AEK Athens and was used for Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and Greece in various occasions. Its current capacity is 69,618 and hosted 3 UEFA European Cup/Champions League finals in 1983, 1994 and 2007, a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final in 1987, the 1991 Mediterranean Games and the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Background

AEK Athens had reached the Greek Cup final twenty two times, winning fourteen of them. The last time that they had won the Cup was in 2016 (2–1 against Olympiacos). The last time that had played in a final was in 2017, where they had lost to PAOK by 2–1. PAOK had reached the Greek Cup final eighteen times, winning five of them. The last time that had played in a final was in 2017, where they had won AEK Athens by 2–1.

Route to the final

AEK AthensRoundPAOK
OpponentResultGroup stageOpponentResult
Lamia2–0 (H)Matchday 1Levadiakos2–1 (H)
7–0 (A)Matchday 2Apollon Pontus1–0 (A)
Kallithea3–2 (A)Matchday 3Aiginiakos5–0 (A)
Group C winnersFinal standingsGroup B winners
OpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legKnockout phaseOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd leg
Panetolikos5–04–0 (A)1–0 (H)Round of 16Trikala7–25–1 (A)2–1 (H)
Olympiacos2–10–0 (A)2–1 (H)Quarter-finalsAtromitos5–12–0 (H)3–1 (A)
AEL2–2 (a)1–2 (A)1–0 (H)Semi-finalsPanionios6–23–1 (A)3–1 (H)

Match

Details

GK  1
RB  2
CB  4
CB 19
LB 23
DM  8
CM 25
RM 14
LM 10
AM 20
CF 11
Substitutes:
GK 16
DF  5
DF 12
DF 33
FW 77
FW  7
FW  9
Manager:
Manolo Jiménez
GK 31
RB  3
CB 15
CB  5
LB 88
DM 87
DM  8
RM 10
LM 21
AM 77
CF  9 Aleksandar Prijović
Substitutes:
GK 99
DF 13
MF 28
MF  7
FW 29
FW 18
FW 20
Manager:
Răzvan Lucescu
width=50% valign=topMan of the Match:
Vieirinha (PAOK)


Assistant referees


Raúl Cabañero Martínez (Spain)
José Manuel Matías Caballero (Spain)
Additional assistant referees


Jesús Gil Manzano (Spain)
Carlos del Cerro Grande (Spain)
Fourth official


Anastasios Sidiropoulos (Dodecanese)

width=50% valign=topMatch rules
  • 90 minutes
  • 30 minutes of extra time if necessary
  • Penalty shootout if scores still level
  • Seven named substitutes
  • Maximum of three substitutions

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Τελικός Κυπέλλου Ελλάδος: ΑΕΚ-ΠΑΟΚ 0-2. el. gazzetta.gr. 27 November 2018.