This was a match for which Panathinaikos had one and only target: victory! After its positive results in the last games against Lamia and Apollon, the Shamrock was looking for its third consecutive three pointer, in order to make for the lost time due to its bad start in the championship. Then the team would work during the pause to become ready to confront its rivals at the following matches. Instead of that the “Greens” appeared sluggish, had severe problems in the creative part of the game and were “punished”, in a moment of inactivity toward the end of the duel, allowing a goal which would make them lose 1-0 from Atromitos.
The visitors entered the match with a clear objective: To keep Panathinaikos’ players away from Gianniotis goalposts. They practiced a massive defensive game and reduced considerably the efforts of the “Greens” who created only two dangerous situations to score during the whole first period. The first one when Xavier shoot from inside the box but didn’t find its target and the second one when Chatziyiovannis, some minutes later, tried to score being had no success.
The second half started with a great chance from the side of Atromitos, though a header by Kotsopoulos passed out of the Green goalposts. The hosts experienced an even bigger problem to create chances in the second period, having very few nice moments. This way we got to the 88th minute. In that very moment, two of Atromitos’ substitutions resulted positive as both Ensikoulou and Christodoulopoulos, who have passed in the pitch some minutes earlier, did a nice combination and the latter scored the unique goal of the match, by a header, offering the victory for Atromitos.
Therefore, Panathinaikos lost one more match and experienced its third loss of points in its fourth home match, showing that many things have to change in view of the very sharp games to follow for the championship, if the team wants to stay close to the play-off positions.
Panathinaikos: Dioudis, Sanchez, Velez, Schenkevelt, Zagaritis, Mauricio, Kourbelis, Chatziyiovannis (74′ Villafañez), Xavier (61′ Αitor), Carlitos, Μacheda (61′ Κampetsis).
Αtromitos: Gianniotis, Galo, Goutas, Galvao, Κivrakidis, Μanousos, Ubides (82′ Charisis), Salomon (82′ Bousoulazic), Agayiev (59′ Christodoulopoulos), Κotsopoulos (83′ Μuñiz), Μatic (67′ Εnsikoulou).
