A GREAT COMEBACK!

In an emotionally charged atmosphere, as Panathinaikos family bid farewell to the legendary Mimis Domazos, Rui Vitória’s Greens did their duty at OAKA, paying a small tribute to the great “General.”

And they did so by showing a remarkable reaction and completing an incredible comeback. They found themselves trailing 0-2 at halftime against OFI but were absolutely dominant in the second 45 minutes. Playing spectacular football, they overwhelmed their opponent, created countless scoring opportunities, netted three goals, and celebrated a crucial victory in their pursuit of the league title.

The Shamrock remained unbeaten for the 17th consecutive match across all competitions and for four months in domestic competition, with their last loss dating back to late September!

Panathinaikos started the game well, showing early intent to score. In the 4th minute, Ounahi threatened with a bicycle kick, while in the 7th minute, Ioannidis found the net, but the goal was disallowed due to Vagiannidis being offside at the start of the play.

Until the 25th minute, the Greens had complete control of the match, and nothing foreshadowed what was to come. In the 27th minute, Chatzitheodoridis sent in a cross into the Panathinaikos box, and Theodosoulakis struck a direct shot to give the visitors the lead.

Panathinaikos’ players were stunned and visibly affected by the goal, unable to react before halftime. Instead, OFI capitalized on the Greens’ shock and doubled their lead in the 42nd minute with a header by Fountas following a cross from González.

At halftime, Rui Vitória made changes to reshape Panathinaikos’ game, introducing Čerin and Świderski, who made his debut wearing the jersey with the Shamrock (later in the match, Manolis Siopis, another winter transfer, also made his first appearance). The team immediately showed signs of life.

In the 47th minute, Tete found space for a header, but Christogeorgos made a crucial save. A similar situation occurred in the 51st minute when Ioannidis’ powerful header was stopped, and on the rebound, the captain took another shot, only for OFI’s goalkeeper to deny him again.

Panathinaikos finally got the goal they deserved in the 57th minute after a magical combination. Tete, Ioannidis, Świderski, and Ounahi played intricate passes, with the Moroccan delivering a brilliant assist to Pellistri, who finished perfectly to make it 1-2. This was the Uruguayan’s first league goal and his fourth overall with the team.

The Greens continued to apply relentless pressure. In the 61st minute, Vagiannidis sent in a cross, Christogeorgos parried, and Ioannidis set up Świderski, whose shot was cleared off the line by González. In the 64th minute, Tete attempted a dangerous effort, but Christogeorgos dived to his left to push it away for a corner.

Panathinaikos’ intensity paid off in the 71st minute when they found the equalizer. Tete played a through ball to Świderski, who delivered a fantastic one-touch assist to Ioannidis, who slotted home for 2-2, scoring for the third consecutive game and his eighth goal of the season.

With momentum on their side, the Greens were unstoppable, and the full comeback seemed inevitable. In the 82nd minute, Ounahi played a through ball to Tete, who squared it for Vagiannidis, who found himself in a striker’s position and pushed the ball into the net for the winning goal, sealing the 3-2 triumph. This was Vagiannidis’ first goal of the season, his last coming in last year’s Greek Cup final against Aris!

Before the kickoff, Panathinaikos FC and the team’s supporters at OAKA honored the memory of the one and only Mimis Domazos, who, up in the “neighborhood of angels,” surely celebrated his beloved Shamrock’s victory with all his heart!

This victory was for you, our great “General”!

Panathinaikos : Dragowski, Vagiannidis, Mladenovic, Schenkeveld, Palmer-Brown, Zeca (46′ Čerin), Ounahi, Bakasetas (46′ Świderski), Tete, Pellistri, Ioannidis (90+2′ Siopis).

OFI : Christogeorgos, Lampropoulos, Silva, González, Chatzitheodoridis, Androutsos, Karachalios, Bakic (87′ Neira), Theodosoulakis (68′ Bressan), Fountas (74′ Marinakis), Jung (74′ Salcedo).