Draw won't do for AEK

By Jason Gee

The UEFA Champions League Group C tie between AEK Athens FC and KRC Genk on Wednesday could be a watershed for both teams as the Greek side attempt to add a win to their record of four straight draws in the competition, and the Belgians simply try to score their first goal.

Unbeaten side
AEK are the only side in the Champions League to remain unbeaten on all fronts this term. They lead Greece's Alpha Ethniki with four wins and a draw from five matches, and have battled to four successive draws in Europe, including two against Real Madrid CF. Indeed, last week they fought back from 2-0 down to hold the reigning champions at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Frustrating campaign
Genk also impressed last time out, battling to a 0-0 draw away at AS Roma. But, overall, Sef Vergoosen's side have endured a frustrating time, being the only side in the Champions League yet to score a goal. The Belgian champions' only other point came after a Matchday One stalemate at home to AEK.

Striking pain
Genk's chances of breaking that scoring duck slimmed with the news that Burkina Faso striker Moumouni Dagano has remained in Belgium because of a virus. Japanese international Takayuki Suzuki could take his place alongside Wesley Sonck, although 19-year-old Kevin Vandenbergh, son of the former Belgium great Erwin, is also a possibility. Genk captain Josip Skoko looks set to play after recovering from a bout of flu.

'My players must progress'
"We knew this would be a difficult campaign," said Vergoosen. "My players have got to progress and they are doing just that. We are very young [the average age of the team is just over 24] and our faults have been magnified by the level of the Champions League."

Two down
Demis Nikolaidis, Christos Maladenis, Mauricio Wright and Grigoris Georgatos have all recovered from injuries for AEK, and the only concerns for coach Dusan Bajevic are an injury to central defender Michalis Kapsis, who will have a late fitness test, and the suspension of Theo Zagorakis.

Trouble looming
There is one problem in the Greek camp, though, as the players attempt to extract bonuses from the club for last season's victory in the Greek Cup and their second-placed finish in the league. They have been told that if they do not qualify from Group C they will not get paid the bonuses because of cash-flow problems after the TV deal with Alpha Digital collapsed. However, midfield player Vassilios Lakis said: "There is no motive other than qualification."

High stakes
AEK could progress if they win the game and Roma fail to win in Madrid, otherwise their fate would depend on the result of their game against Roma in the Stadio Olimpico in two weeks' time. AEK coach Bajevic believes that "even with a draw we can still qualify, but our primary goal will be to win", but he warned: "Genk are disciplined and strong and, if we are not careful, they can spoil our night." A victory would not take Genk higher than third, but that at the very least would put them on course for a place in the UEFA Cup. The stakes for both sides could barely be higher.