Man City will break new ground when they face AEK Athens on Tuesday night, but their previous meetings with Greek opposition provide an encouraging backdrop to the Champions League encounter.
City have never previously faced AEK in competitive football, making the league-phase meeting at the Etihad Stadium the first between the clubs. They have, however, played four European matches against Greek sides and are yet to concede a goal.
The first two came against Aris Thessaloniki in the Europa League round of 32 in February 2011. Roberto Mancini’s side were held to a goalless draw in Greece before completing the job comfortably at the Etihad, winning the second leg 3-0. Edin Dzeko scored twice inside the opening 12 minutes before Yaya Toure completed the victory in the second half.
Man City have never conceded against Greek opposition
City had to wait almost a decade for their next Greek opponents, when they were drawn alongside Olympiacos in the 2020/21 Champions League group stage. Pep Guardiola’s side won 3-0 in Manchester, with Ferran Torres opening the scoring before Gabriel Jesus and Joao Cancelo struck late on. The return fixture in Greece was considerably tighter, but Phil Foden’s first-half goal secured a 1-0 victory.
That leaves City with three victories and a draw from their four competitive matches against Greek opposition, scoring seven goals without conceding.
| Opponent | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Aris | Europa League, 2011 | 0-0 |
| Aris | Europa League, 2011 | 3-0 |
| Olympiacos | Champions League, 2020 | 3-0 |
| Olympiacos | Champions League, 2020 | 1-0 |
AEK therefore represent a new opponent rather than the continuation of an established rivalry, although City will be looking to preserve an unusual defensive record against Greek clubs. Tuesday will also mark City’s 150th match in the European Cup and Champions League proper, adding another historical footnote to the first meeting between the two clubs.
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