On a dramatic night in Athens AEK scored two late goals to edge out Dinamo and qualify for the next phase of the UCL.
After the tragedy of happened a few days earlier in the week this was an encounter packed with emotion.
And for some time it looked like the Croatians would resist the home side until those last few minutes.
Prior to the start of this match, the home players remembered the fan who tragically died in clashes earlier in the week.
That set the tone for an emotional night in Athens.
Leading 2-1 from the first leg and driven on by the barrage of noise from 30,000 locals AEK might have gone ahead in the first seconds but Orbelin Pineda scuffed his shot wide.
The Mexican would also test Livakovic later in the half as AEK had the better of most of the first period.
Although Ivansuvec and Petkovic did combine to threaten the home goal.
Apart from some abortive long shots, it looked like the Athenians would go in still ahead.
But, in the final minute, Petkovic reached a cross that the highly rated Joisp Sutalo put in from close range.
That levelled the tie and served to dampen the atmosphere as it goes very quiet in the Arena.
Into the second, the lively Amrabat was given space on the right but his effort was well blocked by the away keeper.
Then on 65 minutes, Dinamo took the overall lead as Petkovic slide a pass through to Ljubicic.
It looked like a severe blow for AEK, against a side with much more highly rated players (as per transfer valuations)
Coach Matias Almeyda immediately made changes and eventually, they would turn the match.
In a final period of hectic action with various bookings and a disallowed goal, the game entered nine minutes of added time.
And it was time enough for AEK to dramatically recover amid an outpouring of noise.
First substitute Sergio Aruajo drove in a clearance past a group of defenders and then, in the closing seconds VAR intervened.
To give AEK a penalty after a review clearly showed a Dinamo defender handling in the area.
Although striker Levi Garcia's shot was saved by Livakovic it only was parried to Domagoj Vida who headed in the decider.
In an ultimate irony, and perhaps a sense of justice, it was a Croatian ex-Dinamo player who had sent AEK through to face Antwerp in the play-off round.
report from Athens - John Bethell
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