AEK defeats Celje 4-0 in Conference League round of 16

AEK Athens secured a commanding 4-0 victory against Celje in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League round of 16 tie held in Slovenia. Varga opened the scoring in the 3rd minute, followed by Koita in the 33rd minute and Gacinovic in the 36th, marking the first time AEK scored three goals in the first half of an away European match. Moukoudi added the final goal in the 49th minute to complete the result. This victory gives AEK a significant advantage ahead of the return leg scheduled for March 19 in Athens. If AEK confirms its qualification to the quarterfinals, it will face the winner of the Samsunspor-Rayo Vallecano series. Further potential paths include semifinals against the winners of the Rijeka-Strasbourg or Sigma Olomouc-Mainz matchups. The tournament final is scheduled for May 27 or 28 in Leipzig.