Defending champion AEK Athens kicked off the new season in Super League Greece with a commanding 4-0 home victory over Iraklis. The spotlight was on Hungarian national team forward Barnabás Varga, who opened the scoring on Saturday—but now finds himself in a highly competitive race for playing time.

Barnabás Varga, who moved from Ferencváros (Budapest) to the Greek capital at the start of the year and signed a long-term contract through the summer of 2029, was in the starting lineup. Just 11 minutes into the game, the 30-time Hungarian international put AEK ahead when he threw himself at the ball with full commitment in the penalty area and finished to make it 1–0. He left the field to applause in the 72nd minute.

Despite Varga’s perfect start to the season, AEK head coach Marko Nikolić is facing a real luxury problem. In addition to the Hungarian, the other forwards also emphatically demonstrated their ambitions to secure a spot in the starting lineup. Serbian star Luka Jović scored a brace, while Zini also contributed a goal to the 4-0 final score.

Against Iraklis, Marko Nikolić fielded a two-striker duo of Varga and Jović.

If the coach sticks with this formation, three prolific strikers will have to compete for just two spots in the attack in the future,

writes Magyar Nemzet.

In the Greek media, it is primarily Varga’s striking partner who is generating euphoria. The sports portal sportal.gr did not hold back on superlatives after the opening match and ranked Jović at the very top of the team’s internal hierarchy. “Judging by what I saw with my own eyes, Jović is the most complete center forward I have ever seen at AEK,” the article states.

From a Hungarian perspective, there was another encouraging aspect besides Vargas’s goal. Milán Vitális, who joined the Yellow-and-Blacks this summer, made a solid debut in the Greek league. The midfielder played the full 90 minutes and received a yellow card in the 58th minute.

For coach Marko Nikolić and AEK Athens, the key question in the coming weeks will likely be how to optimally distribute playing time in the attack to keep all the goal scorers happy.

Via MTI, Magyar Nemzet, sportal.gr; Featured image: MTI/Illyés Tibor