Heart-break as AEK end Scots euro dream

TWO sendings off and three late goals ended Hearts’ Champions League dreams as Valdas Ivanauskas’ team slumped to a 3-0 defeat in Athens last night.

What was already an uphill task for Hearts with a 2-1 first leg deficit to overturn became an impossible mission after Frenchman Julien Brellier’s first half dismissal for collecting two yellow cards and Neil McCann’s departure midway through the second on a miserable night for the Edinburgh club.

AEK man of the match Julio Cesar scored twice in the last 11 minutes, one from the penalty spot in the 79th and another a fine side-footed strike from just inside the penalty area.

And on a night when he spurned so many chances, striker Nikos Liberopoulos finally found the net with eight minutes remaining to head home AEK’s second goal.

AEK ATHENS: Chiotis, Pautasso (Tozser 72), Cirillo, Dellas, Georgeas, Emerson, Ivic, Lagos (Lakis 54), Julio Cesar, Liberopoulos, Kapetanos.

HEARTS: Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Berra, Fyssas, Brellier, Mikoliunas, McCann, Cesnauskis (Wallace 81), Hartley (Jankauskas 61), Mole.

Ref: Yuri Baskakov (Russia).

Fernando Ricksen went from cheers to jeers on his return to Ibrox as Zenit St Petersburg thrashed Rangers 4-1.

But a typically robust challenge from the Dutchman on former team-mate Chris Burke after 63 minutes saw him fall foul of the supporters.