It was a great, a unique, an unforgettable, an amazing European night of those that only Panathinaikos knows how to create. Ivan Jovanovic’s Greens, this amazing and indomitable team, celebrated a huge qualification at the Velodrome Stadium against mighty Marseille and can be dreaming of the Champions League group stage with two steps left (against Braga) to reach the big goal…
The Greens remained standing despite the great pressure exerted by the Marseilles. Although they found themselves losing 2-0, they finally saved the qualification at 90+9′ with an accurate penalty kick by “Mr. Cool” Ioannidis. The Green striker reduced the score to 2-1 and sent the match to overtime, where the score did not change.
In the penalty shootout Panathinaikos players were infallible. They hit correctly all five of their attempts and, along with the fearsome and formidable Brignoli, who saved a Marseille penalty, are through to the Champions League play-offs, where they will face Braga away on Wednesday 23rd of August and at home on Tuesday 29th of August . The journey to the stars continues…
The game started in the worst way for the Greens who conceded a goal only in the 2nd minute from Aubameyang, who scored another one in the stoppage time of the first half for 2-0. Panathinaikos scored the crucial 2-1 with a penalty kick which was converted into a goal by Ioannidis. Extra time finished with the same score and in the penalty shootout the Greens were flawless from start to finish. They were on target in all five of their attempts, while Brignoli saved Guduzzi’s penalty. Mladenovic took the fifth and final penalty that sent Panathinaikos to the next stage…
The penalties
Ioannidis 0-1
Guendouzi – Brignoli saves
Bernard 0-2
Veretout 1-2
Kleinheisler 1-3
Sarr 2-3
Palacios 2-4
Vitinha 3-4
Mladenovic 3-5
Marseille: Lopez (120′ Blanco), Gigot, Mbemba, Clauss, Lodi, Rongier, Veretout, Ndiaye (69′ Guendouzi), Sarr, Ounahi (59′ Harit), Aubameyang (80′ Vitinha).
Panathinaikos: Brignoli, Vagiannidis, Huankar (70′ Mladenovic), Magnusson, Jedvaj, Ruben, Vilhena (70′ Cerin), Djuricic (62′ Bernard), Mancini (106′ Kleinheisler), Verbic (46′ Palacios), Sporar (62 ′ Ioannidis).
