They are looking forward to a new era in the Athens club. In the spring, after eight years, the famous Greek brand with a trefoil emblem won a trophy, for the first time since 2014, it won the Greek Cup. The last continental stop for Panathinaikos was Bilbao five years ago, with whom they were eliminated in the last preliminary round of the Europa League. The confrontation with Slavia will be a return to the European stage.
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“It is very important for the fans and the whole club that Panathinaikos has reached the European Cups again. After all, it is the most successful Greek club in them, and results and successes in Europe are often perceived as more important than domestic ones. Fans want to experience big cup nights again. This is what everyone was missing,” describes the great expectations of Greek journalist Stelios Bitsoris, referring to Panathinaikos’ final participation in the European Champions Cup in 1971, where they lost to Ajax, or two semi-finals in this competition and the subsequent Champions League in 1985 and 1996.
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Panathinaikos reminds me of Feynoord, says Jindřich Trpišovský. They have no weak point.Video: Sport.cz, SK Slavia Prague
In Athens, they know that the opening opponent is difficult for them. Slavia’s campaign impressed there as well. “Everyone here respects Slavia and knows that they have a good team and have achieved good results. But the fans demand the return of the club to Europe with everything and wish for Panathinaikos to go as far as it can,” informs the website’s correspondent about the mood in Greece olaprasina1908.gr.
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Panathinaikos got back on their feet after a rough time. He got rid of his debts, he wants to swing. The team has been coached by Serbian coach Ivan Jovanovič since last summer. “Management has found a coach who meets its expectations. In addition, he gained the respect and trust of the fans. Quality players like Palacios or Aitor have been coming to Panathinaikos since last season,” Bitsoris points to interesting wing players.
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An example is the recent arrival of Slovenian striker Andraž Šporar from Sporting Lisbon. “The last proper striker here was Marcus Berg, who left in 2017. Since then, there hasn’t been enough replacement for him. Macheda, who was still the main striker last season and now left for Turkey, helped in difficult times, but he was not like Berg or Djibril Cissé, who was here before,” explains the expert of events in Panathinaikos.
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Šporar, who previously worked in Slovan Bratislava, among others, comes with great expectations. You can also feel the trust. “The fans were delighted with his arrival and believe in him as much as Jovanovic, why he is taking him. The team doesn’t just need a capable striker, but one to fit into the way they play. The forward position is where Panathinaikos fell short,” adds Bitsoris.
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Slavia has read the Greek team, coach Jindřich Trpišovský mentioned several times how the opponents have a hard time creating chances against Panathinaikos. The defense is solid. “Although Panathinaikos appears to be a defensive team, it is not only focused on defense. Last season, Panathinaikos played the best football in Greece, which was acknowledged even by the domestic rivals,” the Greek journalist points out.
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Will Slavia change the roster before the match with Panathinaikos? Jindřich Trpišovský decides who to attackVideo: Sport.cz, SK Slavia Prague
“Panathinaikos can play quickly with the ball and are dangerous from the wings, which is a strong point that shows itself mainly on the counter-attack. In addition, the center of the defense was strengthened by Icelander Magnússon, who brought more quality and height to the defense than Vélez, who was sold to Saudi Arabia. The club also bought Čerin, who significantly helped to improve movement in the middle of the pitch,” Bitsoris points out some of the changes in the squad.
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An inconvenience for the green-white team is the absence of defender Bart Schenkeveld due to illness. “That’s an important player,” nods the expert, who also points out that Panathinaikos is a hardworking team and knows how to play hard, but not unsportsmanlike.
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