MANCHESTER, October 2026 — A Foden hat-trick gave Manchester City a 5-1 win over AEK at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, leaving the Athens club on three points after three Champions League games.
Left-back Stavros Pilios scored for AEK early in the second half to make it 2-1. However, the home side answered within five minutes and pulled clear.
The Foden hat-trick leaves coach Marko Nikolić’s team needing a quick reset. Real Madrid visit Athens next in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League.
How the Foden hat-trick unfolded
City took the lead in the 12th minute, when Enzo Fernández hit the crossbar with a free kick. Elliot Anderson followed up to score into an empty net.
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AEK held on until the 34th minute, when Phil Foden finished a move with Rico Lewis for 2-0. Four minutes later, AEK goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli saved a powerful shot from Rayan Cherki.
Nikolić sent on Zini and Koita at half-time to add pace. The changes paid off in the 52nd minute, when Zini found Pilios, whose low diagonal shot beat Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Cherki restored the two-goal margin in the 57th minute. He beat his marker and placed a shot into the corner.
Foden struck again in the 65th minute for 4-1. He met a lofted pass from Lewis and curled the ball into the top corner.
AEK kept pushing, and Zubkov fired wide in the 68th minute before testing Donnarumma in the 72nd. The Italian also saved from Zini.
Finally, the Foden hat-trick arrived in the 77th minute. He tapped into an empty net after another lapse in the AEK defence.
Real Madrid next in Athens
Before the Foden hat-trick was complete, the visitors had struggled with City’s pressing. The home side also controlled long spells of the match.
AEK host Real Madrid at Nea Filadelfeia on 4 November at 7:45pm Athens time. It is the fourth round of the league phase.
Greek City Times reported the league-phase draw in August, when AEK learned they would face both clubs. Fans can follow the club’s news on the AEK website.
