They showed character!

An important victory was achieved by Panathinaikos in a duel against ΑΕΚ, as the team is trying to catch up the lost points in the League. The Shamrock entered the match very aggressively from the first minute, showed character and demonstrated who really wanted to get the three points. Lazlo Boloni’s plan has functioned extremely well, especially during the first half and thus Panathinaikos left the pitch of the Olympic Stadium of Athens by a 2-1 victory against AEK.

The Rumanian coach, thanks to his competitive plan, limited considerably the offensive advantages of AEK and didn’t allow the team, which was the home team in this game, to threaten Dioudis’ goalposts, but in very few cases. From their side, the Greens, were extremely aggressive in their counterattacks losing two very obvious chances to score at the beginning of the match with Macheda and Mauricio. The goal, though, was to come soon!

In the 34th minute Macheda, receiving an assist from Chatziyiovannis, came in front of Tsintotas and by a smooth shoot sent the ball into the rival’s net opening the score for Panathinaikos. During the additional time of the first half Kourbelis, following an impressive personal effort of Zagaritis, transformed the score in 0-2. This would be the result that would take both teams to the pause.

In the first minutes of the second period the Shamrock kept the full control of the game and if its players were a bit more careful in their final efforts, they could score a third goal as well, “locking” from very early a great victory. From his side, AEK’s coach was going for the throat and played from then on with four strikers. Seizing a moment of carelessness of Panathinaikos’ defense, in the 88th minute, AEK’s strikers find a way to score.

Nevertheless, this goal did not change the final score 2-1 for Panathinaikos, who has now 15 points in 11 matches of the Super League’s championship and is positioned among the first six teams in the classification of the League.

ΑΕΚ: Τsintotas, Ιnsua, Svarnas, Nedeltsiaru (82′ Hnid), Vassilantonopoulos (46′ Paulinho), Κristisic, Sakhov (66′ Οliveira), Μantalos, Livaja, Τankovic (46′ Garcia), Αnsarifard (82′ Μachairas).

Panathinaikos: Dioudis, Ζagaritis, Schenkeveld, Velez, Sanchez, Αlexandropoulos (86′ Pougouras), Κourbelis, Μauricio, Villafañez (70′ Carlitos), Chatziyiovannis (87′ Juankar), Μacheda (72′ Αyoub).