At Levadias Stadium, Levadiakos and Aris Thessalonikis played out a 1–1 draw in the Super League 1 Conference League Group – 1 round. Aris led 1–0 at half-time and were more incisive in the box, but Levadiakos’ territorial control and structured possession gradually tilted the game. The numbers frame the balance: Levadiakos had 60% of the ball, generated 1.66 xG and 9 shots, while Aris produced 13 shots and 1.4 xG, threatening repeatedly in transition. The contest evolved from Aris’ early vertical 4-4-2 dominance into a second half where Levadiakos’ 4-1-4-1 pinned them back and forced the equaliser.
Scoring Sequence & Disciplinary Log
Aris thought they had struck as early as the 10' when Martin Hongla found the net, but VAR intervened and the goal was cancelled, an early warning of Aris’ ability to attack direct spaces behind the Levadiakos back line.
Discipline began to shape the tone from 23', when Tino Kadewere received a yellow card for a foul, signalling Aris’ aggressive pressing from the front. Their pressure paid off in the 31': Benjamín Garré opened the scoring with a normal goal for Aris Thessalonikis, assisted by Kadewere. The 4-4-2 front pair exploited the channels, with Garré attacking from the right midfield lane into the half-space to finish.
Levadiakos’ frustration surfaced at 36', as Giannis Kosti was booked for a foul, a by-product of Levadiakos being repeatedly exposed in defensive transition. Just before the interval at 45', Hamza Mendyl was shown a yellow card for argument, reflecting rising tension as Levadiakos increased pressure late in the half but went into the break 0–1 down.
The second half swing was crystallised at 58', when Levadiakos equalised. Benjamin Verbič scored a normal goal, assisted by right-back Triantafyllos Tsapras. The move underlined Levadiakos’ growing dominance down the flanks and their ability to push full-backs high from the 4-1-4-1 structure.
Aris’ third yellow came at 63', with Fabiano cautioned for argument, again in a phase where Levadiakos had taken control of territory and were contesting every duel around the Aris box. No red cards were issued; the game remained numerically even despite 1 yellow for Levadiakos and 3 for Aris.
Tactical Breakdown & Personnel
Levadiakos lined up in a 4-1-4-1 under Nikolaos Papadopoulos, with Yury Lodygin in goal; a back four of Marios Vichos, Hörður Magnússon, Panagiotis Liagas and Triantafyllos Tsapras; Enis Çokaj as the single pivot; a band of four in midfield – Benjamin Verbič (left), Giannis Kosti and Guillermo Balzi centrally, Sebastián Palacios on the right – and Alen Ožbolt as the lone striker.
Aris Thessalonikis, coached by Michalis Grigoriou, set up in a 4-4-2: Giorgos Athanasiadis in goal; Álvaro Tejero, Fabiano, Noah Sonko Sundberg and Hamza Mendyl across the back; a midfield four of Giannis Gianniotas (left), Martin Hongla and Uroš Račić centrally, Benjamín Garré on the right; with Carles Pérez and Tino Kadewere as the front two.
Goalkeeper reality was clear: Lodygin made 2 saves, Athanasiadis 1. The team-level goals_prevented figure for both was 0, indicating that the 1–1 scoreline was broadly in line with the quality of chances conceded. Lodygin’s work was limited more by Levadiakos’ territorial control than by defensive dominance; Aris still managed 10 shots inside the box, a sign that their vertical attacks and crossing from wide areas were effective whenever they broke pressure.
In possession, Levadiakos’ 60% share and 391 passes (77% accuracy) reflected a patient build-up. Çokaj anchored in front of the centre-backs, enabling both full-backs – especially Tsapras – to advance and create 2v1s wide. The equaliser at 58' perfectly illustrated this: Tsapras overlapped aggressively, received in space and delivered the decisive ball for Verbič to finish. Verbič’s role was pivotal, constantly drifting inside from the left to connect with Ožbolt and the interior midfielders, turning the 4-1-4-1 into a 4-2-3-1 in longer attacking phases.
Aris, by contrast, accepted a 40% possession share and 257 passes (72% accuracy), leaning heavily on direct play and early balls into Kadewere and Pérez. The early, then cancelled, Hongla goal at 10' and the eventual Garré strike at 31' both came from Aris exploiting transitional moments, attacking the spaces behind Levadiakos’ advanced full-backs. Hongla’s surges from central midfield and Garré’s diagonal movements from the right consistently troubled the Levadiakos back line.
Substitutions were used by both coaches to adjust intensity rather than structure. At 66', Levadiakos freshened the back line and right flank: G. Tsivelekidis (IN) came on for H. Magnusson (OUT), and Hisham Layous (IN) came on for G. Balzi (OUT). Simultaneously, Aris altered both their left flank and central midfield: Anastasios Donis (IN) came on for G. Gianniotas (OUT), and Fredrik Jensen (IN) came on for U. Račić (OUT), adding more running power and late-box presence.
At 77', Levadiakos replaced both their scorer and booked midfielder to maintain energy and avoid a second yellow: Panagiotis Symelidis (IN) came on for B. Verbič (OUT), and Lamarana Jallow (IN) came on for I. Kosti (OUT). Aris responded at 78' with fresh legs on the right: Christian Kouamé (IN) came on for B. Garre (OUT), aiming to stretch Levadiakos with more direct running. In the 83', Othman Boussaid (IN) came on for M. Hongla (OUT), and Loren Morón (IN) came on for T. Kadewere (OUT), keeping the 4-4-2 shape but changing profiles in the front line and midfield. Finally, at 87', Levadiakos introduced a new focal point up front: Ognjen Ožegović (IN) came on for A. Ožbolt (OUT), seeking a late aerial and penalty-box threat.
Defensively, the blocked shots tally – 3 for Levadiakos, 4 for Aris – shows Aris were slightly more active in last-ditch interventions, consistent with their deeper second-half block. Levadiakos’ 15 fouls versus Aris’ 17 underline a combative match, with Aris’ three yellows (Kadewere 23', Mendyl 45', Fabiano 63') reflecting more frequent tactical or emotional infringements as they tried to slow Levadiakos’ momentum.
The Statistical Verdict
The xG figures – 1.66 for Levadiakos and 1.4 for Aris – support the 1–1 outcome and the narrative of a territorially dominant home side against a transition-focused visitor. Levadiakos’ 2 shots on goal from 9 total attempts indicate some inefficiency in turning possession into clear chances, but their structured build-up and wide overloads eventually produced enough quality to level.
Aris’ 13 total shots, with 10 inside the box, show how dangerous they were whenever they broke Levadiakos’ lines, even with only 40% possession. Their 3 yellow cards to Levadiakos’ 1, plus 17 fouls, underline the physical cost of defending deep for long spells. Goalkeeper saves (2 for Lodygin, 1 for Athanasiadis) and a goals_prevented value of 0 for both teams suggest neither keeper had to produce extraordinary interventions; the match was decided more by structural adjustments, wing play, and transitional efficiency than by goalkeeping heroics. Overall, a tactically balanced draw where Levadiakos’ control met Aris’ vertical threat.
