The Greek giant Panathinaikos recorded an unexpected and very disappointing 1:1 draw against the Bulgarian CSKA 1948 at the Olympic Stadium “Spiros Louis“.
The match was part of the first match of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League. The hosts took an early lead through Adriano Jagušić in the 21st minute, but Georgi Rusev restored the tie in the 31st minute. The result caused a wave of sharp criticism in our southern neighbor.
Analysis and comments in the Greek press
The leading sports publications in Greece did not spare their criticism of the performance of the “green“. Journalists emphasize the fact that despite the huge advantage in possession of the ball (69% against 31%), Panathinaikos was outplayed in terms of the number of clear goal opportunities and the total number of shots.
Observers note that after the early goal the team made serious mistakes in defense, allowing the Bulgarian team to organize dangerous counterattacks. Most sports analysts define Panathinaikos' game as “idealless“ and “sluggish“ in the second half, which logically led to violent booing by the Greek fans in the stands after the final referee's signal.
What did the headquarters of “the clovers“
There is serious tension in the home team's camp. Representatives of the sports and technical staff shared in the interview area that the team approached with unnecessary self-confidence after the opening of the result.
- Match rating: “After the first goal, an inexplicable relaxation occurred. We thought the match was decided, which is unacceptable against an organized opponent like CSKA 1948.“
- A look at the second leg: The staff stressed that qualifying for the play-off phase remains the main goal, but the performance in Sofia must be radically different in order to avoid an early failure in Europe.
Reactions of the players and experts
Young hope Adriano Jagušić, who scored the only goal for the hosts, expressed regret that his goal was not enough for the victory. The players admitted that the lack of game dynamics and better interaction in the midfield prevented the team from breaking the Bulgarian defense.
Specialists in our southern neighbor warn that CSKA 1948 showed exceptional character and was closer to victory, aiming for the post of Ognen Gasevich in the 82nd minute and Georgi Rusev's misses face to face with goalkeeper Iñaki Peña. Greek commentators are unanimous that the return match at the National Stadium “Vasil Levski“ on August 11 will be an extremely tough test for Panathinaikos' ambitions.