John O'Neil holds off Maladenis

Colgan then came to Hibs' rescue in 51 minutes when he turned a Demis Nikolaidis header round the post.

AEK's pressure finally paid off three minutes later when Ulrik Laursen dived in rashly inside the box and fouled substitute leaving the referee no option but to point to the spot. Tsartas calmly slotted the ball past Colgan.

The home side were clearly in the ascendancy and Hibs' confidence appeared to have been affected.

It was no surprise, then, that AEK doubled their lead in 66 minutes.

A curling ball by Konstantinidis from the left evaded two Hibs defenders and Nikolaidis made no mistake from six yards with the header.

Hibs were not out of it, however, and they had two clear-cut chances within two minutes with the home defence at sixes and sevens, but the ball would not fall kindly for the visiting attackers.

Colgan almost presented AEK with a third goal when he fumbled an inswinging cross, but he recovered in time to stop the ball going over the line.

Substitute David Zitelli might have pulled a goal back for Hibs with 10 minutes remaining as he broke free on the right, but his shot was saved at the near post when a cutback might have been more damaging.

First effort

The home side had opened the game brightly and they created their first opportunity in the third minute when Theodoros Zagorakis brought the ball down well on his chest at the edge of the area but his shot on the turn was weak.

Hibs were able to threaten only sporadically and they put their first meaningful move together in 16 minutes.

Laursen is halted by Maladenis

Ulises de la Cruz was instrumental and he twice came close to penetrating the home defence with probing passes but the move ultimately came to nothing.

AEK Athens had their first real sight of goal midway through the first half when Vassilis Tsartas made space for himself on the edge of the Hibs box.

Fortunately for the Scots, Tsartas dragged his powerful left-foot shot a couple of feet wide.

Zikos then tested Nick Colgan in 25 minutes with a fierce right-foot effort which the Hibs keeper gathered at the second attempt.

A minute later, Tam McManus did well on the right but Ian Murray was unable to get any power on his header from McManus' cross.

AEK Athens: Atmatsidis, Georgeas, Gamarra, Ramos, Kasapis, Andreas-Vasileios Zikos, Zagorakis, Vassilis Tsartas, Maladenis, Konstantinidis, Demis Nikolaidis.

Subs: Chiotis, Kostenoglou, Kappos, Mielcarski, Lakis, Kola.

Hibernian: Colgan, De la Cruz, Fenwick, Smith, Laursen, Murray, O'Neil, Jack, Orman, Brewster, McManus.

Subs: Caig, Luna, Brebner, Townsley, Andrews, Smart, Zitelli.

Referee: Attila Hanacsek (Hungary)