Greek Super League club AEK Athens have defeated Sydney FC 5-3 in the opening match of the Sydney Festival of Football. Festival of Football Match 1Sydney FC (Aus): 3 (Alex Brosque (p) 33', 48', Ibrahima Thiam 89') AEK Athens (Gre): 5 (Leonardo 30', Ismael Blanco 37', Nikos Liberopoulos 60', Nacho Scocco 74', Pantelis Kafes 77') Venue:Sydney Football Stadium

AEK Athens opened the scoring in the 30th minute when captain Nikos Liberopoulos played in Leonardo and the Brazilian winger finished deftly past Sydney keeper Ivan Necevski but the Sky Blues managed to hit back minutes later when they were awarded a penalty for a Liberopoulos handball in the area. Alex Brosque stepped up to the spot and put it straight down the centre to make it 1-1.

The Greek club managed to go ahead again in the 37th minute when Argentine striker Ismael Blanco ghosted in at the back post and put an unmarked header into the back of the net.

Sydney hit back again through Brosque which was helped by a goalkeeping blunder by Giannis Arabatzis to make it 2-2 before Athens made it 3-2 when Scocco played a beautiful ball to Liberopoulos who turned and finished neatly with his left foot.

Former Adelaide United striker Nathan Burns entered the fray with just under half an hour left to and saw two more Athens goals which made it 5-2 to the visitors.

Sydney's new Senegalese striker Ibrahima Thiam scored with a neat header late in the piece to make the final score 5-3.