Valdas Ivanauskas believes his side still have a chance

"I am very angry, not about our performance, I'm angry about the referee," he said after AEK left Edinburgh with a 2-1 win.

"I think he made mistakes and the mistakes cost us the win.

"AEK are a very strong team. But, in two weeks, there is another game and we have a chance."

Interview: Hearts' Steven Pressley

Interview: AEK Athens midfielder Emerson

Saulius Mikoliunas had put the Jambos ahead, but Bruno Aguiar was dismissed four minutes later when he threw the ball away to earn a second caution.

The Greek side eventually made their one-man advantage count in the closing stages with two late goals to leave Hearts with a mountain to climb in the second leg in Athens in a fortnight.

We had a bit of luck in the last five minutes AEK Athens midfielder Emerson

"They scored two goals after Bruno was sent off," said Ivanauskas.

"After the red card, it was very difficult for 10 men against a very good team.

"But, after we scored, we had another chance to score a second goal."

Hearts captain Steven Pressley insisted that they still have a chance of qualifying for the Champions League group stages.

"Although they had the better of the first-half, we dug in and showed great character and steel," he said.

"We worked extremely hard against a very good AEK Athens side.

"To lose two goals in the last four minutes was extremely disappointing, but it is only halfway in the tie and we still have an opportunity."

Brazilian midfielder Emerson, who was a major influence for AEK, thought that the Greeks were the better side.

But the former Rangers player added: "We had a bit of luck in the last five minutes, although we were the better team for 80 minutes."

AEK coach Lorenzo Serra Ferrer did not think the tie was effectively over.

"It's true we have an advantage and we hope we can take it, but I'm trying to stress to the players that they still have one more game," he said.

"We feel that we dominated the match from the first minute to the last.

"We always thought that things would work out well as we have worked hard and these efforts paid off.