LÁRNAKA, Cyprus (Dec. 18, 2025) – Defying a lopsided statistical projection, AEK Larnaca ground out a narrow 1-0 victory over North Macedonia’s Shkendija in a tense Europa League group stage match Thursday afternoon at AEK Arena (Interstat) — George Karapatakis.

The contest, anticipated by analytics firm Interstat to be a high-scoring affair with a projected final score of 4-2, instead became a defensive struggle settled by a single, late goal. The simulator had given the Cypriot side a 96.60 percent probability to win, but the visiting Shkendija defense made that victory far harder to secure than expected.

The game’s complexion changed dramatically just past the hour mark. Shkendija was reduced to 10 men in the 53rd minute when Liridon Latifi was shown a straight red card. The dismissal came in a sequence that also resulted in a yellow card for Shkendija substitute Besart Ibraimi, one of three cautions for the visitors on the night.

Playing with a man advantage, AEK Larnaca intensified its pressure but struggled to break down a resolute Shkendija block. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 83rd minute. The play was built from the back, with defender Godswill Ekpolo providing the key assist. His pass found forward Karol Angielski, who finished clinically to send the home crowd into celebration. The assist was credited to Ekpolo, a key performance in securing the three points.

Shkendija’s Aleksandër Trumci, who also entered the match as a substitute, received a yellow card in the 42nd minute. Ekpolo was also booked in the 78th minute for the hosts.

The result gives AEK Larnaca a perfect start to its Europa League campaign, moving its record in the competition to 1 win, 0 losses. Across all competitions this season, the Cypriot club now stands at 1 win, 0 losses. For Shkendija, the defeat marks a disappointing opening to their European season, with their record in the Europa League falling to 0 wins, 1 loss, mirroring their overall season record.

The single goal was enough to separate the sides on a afternoon where efficiency trumped expectation, providing AEK Larnaca with a crucial victory in its pursuit of advancement from the group stage.