Barnabás Varga Scores Twice as AEK Athens Cruise to Greek Cup Victory

Hungarian striker Barnabás Varga delivered a memorable performance on Thursday as AEK Athens cruised to an emphatic 8–1 victory over Panserraikos in the second round of the Greek Cup.

Varga started the match and needed just five minutes to find the net twice. He scored in the 33rd and 38th minutes, with both goals coming after assists from AEK captain Petros Mantalos.

For his first goal, Varga received Mantalos’ pass, raced towards the goalkeeper, rounded him and calmly finished into an empty net. Five minutes later, he was involved again, using another pass from Mantalos before creating space for himself and firing a precise shot into the goal.

AEK dominated the match from the beginning and had already established a commanding lead by half-time. The Athens side eventually completed an 8–1 victory, underlining the gulf between the two teams.

There was also another Hungarian on the scoresheet. Milán Vitális started alongside Varga and scored AEK’s fifth goal shortly before half-time, turning a cross from João Mário into the net with a clever finish. Former Ferencváros winger Oleksandr Zubkov also scored for AEK.

However, the night ended on a concerning note for Varga. The Hungarian international was forced off in the 59th minuteafter appearing to suffer a hamstring injury during a sprint. He immediately grabbed the back of his thigh before leaving the pitch.

Despite the injury scare, Varga’s two-goal performance continued an impressive start to the season. Reports indicated that he had reached eight goals in ten appearances across competitions before the cup match.

The result gives AEK Athens a strong start to their Greek Cup campaign, while Hungarian football fans will now be watching closely for further updates on Varga’s condition ahead of the national team’s upcoming fixtures.