Aberdeen’s mini-revival was halted in demoralising fashion as they crashed to a meek 6-0 Conference League defeat at the hands of AEK Athens in the noisy OPAP Arena.
Jimmy Thelin’s side arrived in the Greek capital buoyed by moving off the bottom of the William Hill Premiership following back-to-back wins over Dundee and St Mirren.
But their hopes of building further momentum and picking up their first Conference League points were destroyed as the ruthless hosts eased into a three-goal half-time lead.
The Greeks continued in the ascendancy after the break to leave the bedraggled Reds – who travel to Cyprus to play Larnaca in a fortnight – languishing at the foot of the table with no points and a goal difference of minus seven.
Thelin made two changes to the side that started in Paisley last Saturday as Topi Keskinen and Marko Lazetic replaced Gavin Molloy and Kevin Nisbet, while former Livingston and Hearts left-back James Penrice started for AEK.
The visitors looked the more threatening side in the opening 10 minutes, with Jesper Karlsson, who fizzed a free-kick just wide from 30 yards, particularly lively.
But the wind was soon removed from their sails when AEK went ahead in the 11th minute as Aboubakary Koita stepped away from Graeme Shinnie and fired a low left-footed strike across goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov and into the far corner from just outside the box.
The Dons completely lost their way thereafter as the Greeks turned the screw.
Shortly after defender Filipe Relvas headed against a post from a Penrice free-kick, the home side doubled their lead in the 18th minute.
It came from a counter-attack after Dons pair Stuart Armstrong and Karlsson both turned down inviting shooting opportunities, with Koita slotting an angled shot beyond Mitov from just outside the six-yard box after being fed by Lazaros Rota.
AEK’s third came in the 27th minute when Niclas Eliasson produced a cool finish from 10 yards after the home side stole possession on the edge of the box from Jack Milne, who had been put in trouble by a needlessly risky pass from Mitov.
Thelin responded by replacing Keskinen, who had been playing left wing-back, with centre-back Alfie Dorrington and switching from 3-4-3 to a 5-3-2 formation in an effort to stem the bleeding.
The change made little difference, with AEK spurning no less than five great chances to stretch their lead further before the interval.
Boos were audible from the travelling Dons support at half-time, and Thelin made a double change for the start of the second half as Dante Polvara and Ante Palaversa came on for Shinnie and Adil Aouchiche.
But AEK’s dominance remained after the break and Razvan Marin produced an acrobatic close-range finish in the 55th minute after Frantzdy Pierrot’s effort rebounded off a post.
Further goals in the closing 10 minutes from substitutes Luka Jovic, who outfoxed Mitov from six yards, and Dereck Kutesa, who went clean through and finished clinically, completed a humiliating evening for the Dons and brought fresh pressure on Thelin.
