AEK Athens vs Rayo Vallecano

AEK Athens produced a commanding 3–1 win over Rayo Vallecano at the OPAP Arena, but it came just short of overturning the three-goal deficit from the first leg. Zini was the night's hero, scoring twice to give the home crowd genuine belief in a comeback that ultimately didn't materialise. The Brazilian forward struck early in the 13th minute, then Razvan Marin stepped up to convert a penalty in the 36th, sending the Greeks into the break with real momentum. Zini completed his brace six minutes after the restart, and with Rayo rattled, the aggregate gap closed to just one goal. Isi Palazón — scorer in Madrid too — killed the comeback stone dead with an away goal in the 60th minute. AEK dominated throughout, enjoying 64% possession and registering 21 shots, but the 3–0 defeat from the first leg proved too steep a mountain to climb. Rayo Vallecano march into the Conference League semi-finals 4–3 on aggregate, a deserved reward for one of the competition's most compelling sides.