Kallithea Start Brightly, Then a Penalty Changes Everything
Kallithea were actually the better team for long stretches early on at El Paso. Kept troubling keeper Angelopoulos, looked like a side genuinely capable of an upset against top-flight opposition. Didn’t last, though. Right before the break, off the back of good pressing from Nitsos, AEL won a penalty, and Konstantinos Papageorgiou stepped up and buried it in the 45th minute. A lead the first-half performance honestly hadn’t earned.
Whatever momentum Kallithea had going evaporated fast after that. AEL came out for the second half with real purpose, and by the 53rd minute they’d doubled it — quick counter, ball finds Papageorgiou again, no hesitation, second of the day. Shaky first half turned into a comfortable 2-0 just like that.
Manias Gives Kallithea Hope, But Albanis Ends It
For a bit, it looked like there was one more twist coming. Manias pulled one back for Kallithea in the 86th minute, 2-1, and with time running out there was a real sense around the ground that something dramatic might still happen. Kallithea threw players forward, went all in chasing the equalizer that would’ve forced extra time.
AEL had the last say, though. Deep into stoppage time — 90+3′ — Christos Albanis struck well to restore the two-goal gap and end any doubt about the result. Brutal way for Kallithea’s late push to finish, clawing all the way back to 2-1 only to concede again in literally the last kick of the game.
What It Means Next
Big moment for AEL Larissa. First team outside the five already-qualified European sides to lock in their League Phase spot this season, and they did it on the road in a game that was a lot tighter than 3-1 makes it look for most of the ninety. Papageorgiou’s brace made the difference — scored in both halves, set the tone for a performance that got the job done even with a few nervy stretches. For Kallithea, plenty to take from how they started and how they fought back late, even if it wasn’t enough in the end against a side with more in the final third.
Match Summary
Athens Kallithea 1-3 AEL Larissa Greek Cup, Qualification Round — El Paso Municipal Stadium, Athens, Greece Monday, 17 August 2026
Goals: 45′ Konstantinos Papageorgiou (AEL Larissa) 0-1 (penalty) 53′ Konstantinos Papageorgiou (AEL Larissa) 0-2 86′ Manias (Athens Kallithea) 1-2 90+3′ Christos Albanis (AEL Larissa) 1-3
Result: AEL Larissa beat Athens Kallithea 3-1 to become the first non-European team to secure a spot in the League Phase of the Greek Cup.
For live Greek Cup scores and match coverage, visit fawanews. Full results and bracket at the official Greek Cup website.
