Yes, it is only half-time. Yes, Real Betis will still fancy their chances in the return leg. Yes, Panathinaikos still have a mountain to climb next week in Seville.
But the players and especially the fans should still soak up the 1-0 victory on what was a night to remember at OAKA, one which gave us all a reminder of what Panathinaikos means and the European DNA embedded within the club.
On Thursday evening, the older generation were rewarded for sticking with the club during rough times and were reminded of the old days, when nights like this were common, while the younger generation finally got to witness a magical European night. Sure, Panathinaikos have beaten the likes of Marseille, Villarreal, Ajax, Fiorentina and Shakhtar Donetsk in recent years, but that win over Real Betis just hits different.
Panathinaikos are 1971 European Cup finalists, two-time European Cup/Champions League semi-finalists, two-time quarter-finalists and two-time UEFA Cup quarter-finalists. However, should the Greens manage to eliminate Real Betis, they will match their best European run since 2003 when they fell to Jose Mourinho’s Porto. 23 years is a long time and now the fans are craving a big European run after years of turmoil and mismanagement.
Panathinaikos started well at OAKA against notoriously slow starters Real Betis. But once the highly-fancied visitors got into their groove the pattern of the UEFA Europa League match was set in stone. Panathinaikos knew how the Spaniards liked to play and, for the most part, nullified the attacking threat they possess.
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Possession was limited but that was deliberate, and the Trifylli looked more comfortable without the ball, rather than with the ball. La Liga’s fifth-place team like a patient build-up and a possession-based game with short, quick passes, so Panathinaikos sat deep, soaked up lots of pressure and attempted to force the visitors into areas they are uncomfortable in.
Rafael Benitez’s hands were tied given the lack of options available in most areas – notably in defence, but in the end his line-up was spot on and did the job. A whopping 12 players were unavailable for selection (granted several are not included on the European list), so Davide Calabria had to shift to a less natural centre-back role, alongside Sverrir Ingi Ingason and Georgios Katris. Calabria struggled at times, but Ingason and Katris were outstanding. Renato Sanches had possibly his best game for the club in midfield and was partnered with the reliable Adam Cerin. Anass Zaroury struggled in an unnatural role as wing-back but the effort was there, while Facundo Pellistri had a solid game covering a lot of ground. On the opposite flank, Georgios Kyriakopoulos had a very good game.
Real Betis have several game-breakers in their ranks such as Adbe Ezzalzouli, Cucho Hernandez, Junior Firpo, Antony and Pablo Fornals, but they only managed to force Alban Lafont into six comfortable saves, none of which you could say were world class.
Andreas Tetteh was once again a shining light up front. ‘The new Djibril Cisse’ bullied the Real Betis back line, was a constant target to relieve pressure and, on another day with a better referee, would have provoked more cards shown to the opposition. However, the undisputed man of the match has to be Vicente Taborda. His all-action style has made him an instant hit with the fans and he was literally popping up everywhere at OAKA. ‘The new Equi Gonzalez’ pressed well, brought the energy, tried to make things happen and, above all, oozed confidence when it mattered. He never looked like missing his penalty.
Huge credit also has to go to the coach. Benitez stuck with the same formation that has worked well in recent weeks, read the game extremely astutely, out-coached a quality manager in Manuel Pellegrini, and once again showed he still has it when it comes to navigating tricky European ties. The Spanish coach not only has a winning record over Pellegrini, he still remains undefeated with Panathinaikos in Europe and is now 22 games unbeaten at home in the Europa League (a competition he has previously won).
Benitez also sent a timely reminder to us ‘couch coaches’ that sometimes the man on the bench knows more. I have been a critic of Benitez over the past few months, and even in this game after the red card to Zaroury, I would have panicked and changed formations to sure things up at the back and also would have made substitutions earlier. But he stuck to his guns and it worked. The subs were also worth their weight in gold, especially Karol Swiderski. The Polish striker has copped his fair share of criticism this season, but in his first touch won the decisive penalty after being played in by Calabria.
Not even the officiating could stop PAO
Speaking of the red card, Panathinaikos can again consider themselves hard done by. A fortnight ago, it was that kamikaze Lithuanian referee, today it was the Polish referee. UEFA really has to do something about these officials that seem hell bent on putting Panathinaikos on the back foot.
The first yellow was laughable, while the second was understandable. I would be calling for a yellow if the situation was reversed, but given the way this match was officiated, I highly doubt a Real Betis player would have got a second yellow in the same scenario. The stonewall penalty was also not initially given, but thankfully it was overturned after a VAR check and a second yellow to Diego Llorente was rightly shown. There were many other incidents, but those were the main talking points. He was heavily booed throughout by the home fans, who also deserve credit for orchestrating a fiery atmosphere.
Thankfully, none of the above mattered in the end, and Panathinaikos actually looked better and more assured when they went down to 10 men. They held their shape well, remained very compact and frustrated the visitors, while also looking more dangerous in the final third on the attack.
Will Panathinaikos progress?
It was a magical European night and definitely a night to remember for long-suffering fans. But it is only half-time and the job is far from complete. Greek teams do not have good records in Spain and have historically struggled against Spanish opposition – none of the big four clubs have eliminated a Spanish side in Europe. The players cannot go into the second leg with a relaxed approach, and an even better performance is likely needed to advance to the quarter-finals.
Real Betis will not underestimate us and will go full throttle, even if they are now winless in four games in all competitions and clashed with the small portion of away fans at OAKA. Not only do they have the quality, they know what it takes to go far in Europe having made last season’s UEFA Conference League final and are well-established, given Pellegrini has been at the club since 2020 and many of the players have also been there for the long-term. To put that in perspective, just think about how many coaches have come and gone at Panathinaikos during that time.
In excess of 3,500 Panathinaikos fans will be with the team in Seville. Let’s hope that by the end of it, fans and players will be celebrating as one. They will do their part in the stands and make their presence felt. It is now over to the players and Benitez to get over the line.
It is still way too early to dream. But given how the other first-leg matches panned out on Panathinaikos’ side of the draw, a real opportunity for a special European run could be on the horizon, should we find a way to get a result in Seville.
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