Athenian gods run riot in Slovenia

If you were looking for a competitive football match in Slovenia this evening, I hope you kept your receipt. NK Celje welcomed AEK Athens to their modest home, presumably hoping for a historic night under the lights. Instead, they got a history lesson in how to concede four goals in a single half without so much as a whimper.

The first forty-five minutes were a masterclass in boredom. At 0-0, one might have been tempted to think Celje actually had the tactical discipline to belong on the same pitch as the Greeks. One would have been WRONG. It turns out the first half was merely an elaborate prank by AEK, a bit of performance art designed to give the home side a false sense of security before the inevitable execution.

Whatever was said in the AEK dressing room at the break probably shouldn't be repeated in polite company. The Athenians emerged for the second half like a team possessed by the spirit of 2004, but with actual attacking intent. Four goals followed in a blitz that made the Celje backline look like they were participating in a "Mannequin Challenge" that had gone on several years too long.

AEK didn’t just win; they dismantled the Slovenian resistance with the clinical efficiency of a debt collector. For the home fans, who had presumably turned up hoping for a giant-killing, it was a total CATASTROPHE. Watching your team get dismantled in your own backyard is never fun, but doing it while the opposition barely breaks a sweat is just insulting.

This result propels AEK Athens up the Conference League table, transforming them from "team that might do okay" to "team everyone else wants to avoid." They head back to Greece with three points and a goal difference that looks significantly healthier than Celje’s pride.

For Celje, the standings are now looking as grim as their defensive highlights. They came into this fixture hoping to prove they could swim with the sharks; they left proving they’re just very expensive bait. At this level, you can’t just stop playing at tea time and expect the Greeks not to notice the open door.