Panathinaikos – CSKA Sofia: For 3/3 and another step towards the "last 16"
Panathinaikos welcomes CSKA Sofia on Thursday evening (05/11, 22:00) at OAKA, for the 3rd matchday of the Conference League League Phase.
Panathinaikos welcomes CSKA Sofia on Thursday evening (05/11, 22:00) at OAKA, for the 3rd matchday of the Conference League League Phase. The "Greens" want to extend their winning streak and establish themselves in the top positions of the competition.
Panathinaikos: Ideal start in Greece and Europe
Jacob Nystrup's team has achieved a perfect record in their first two European commitments. In the premiere, they defeated Borac Banja Luka 2-1 at OAKA, followed by an impressive 5-1 away win against Kairat Almaty.
With six points and a goal difference of 7-2, Panathinaikos is at the top of the unified standings, ahead of the other seven teams that have also achieved two victories.
The atmosphere in the "Trifyli" is excellent even after the derby with AEK. The "Greens" won 2-0, thanks to goals from Tetteh and Antino, completing six consecutive victories in all competitions.
Those who started in the derby followed a rehabilitation program in the first training session, while the rest worked at normal pace. The most significant absence remains the injured Azzedine Ounahi.
CSKA Sofia: Undefeated in Bulgaria, without a win in Europe
CSKA presents a different picture inside and outside its borders. In the Bulgarian championship, they remain undefeated with nine wins and four draws, having scored 29 goals and conceded only nine. They are in second place, behind Levski Sofia.
In their last match, they drew 0-0 with Slavia Sofia, despite having 71% possession and finishing the game with 29 attempts on goal. Their inability to convert their superiority into goals cost them first place.
In the Conference League, they have not yet managed to celebrate a victory. Markus Gisdol's team lost 2-1 to Monaco and then drew 2-2 at home to Nordsjælland. With one point and a goal difference of 3-4, they are in 23rd place.
Their European journey already has Greek interest, as they were eliminated from the Europa League playoffs by OFI with two defeats and an aggregate score of 5-0.
Panathinaikos' opportunity for the top eight
The game against CSKA is an important opportunity for Panathinaikos. With a win, they will reach nine points and gain a strong lead for a place in the top eight, which offers direct qualification to the "last 16".
The "Greens" will have to manage possession correctly and avoid easy mistakes against a team that has quality in attack, despite the fact that they have not yet won in the League Phase. The effectiveness of Cyriel Dessers, who is at the top of the scorers in the history of the Conference League with 13 goals, can prove decisive.
The acquisition of three points becomes even more important due to the upcoming schedule. Panathinaikos will face Nordsjælland and Freiburg away, before hosting Brighton in the last matchday of the League Phase.