Panathinaikos won, but Volos remained… alive!

Panathinaikos defeated Volos 2-1, in their first game for the “16” phase of the Greek Cup, at “Apostolos Nikolaidis”.

Makenda found the net for the third consecutive match, opening the scoring in the 24th minute with an assist by Palacios, while Alexandropoulos in the 51st minute doubled his team’s goals with personal energy.

However, coming off the bench, Fernandez combined very nicely with Van Feert and made it 2-1 in the 56th minute.

The hosts had a qualifying score but lost it, along with some opportunities to score and keep their third consecutive victory in terms of psychology, in view of AEK.

The team of Magnesia on the other hand achieved its goal in doubles, after scoring the always valuable goal in double away matches, but also “extinguished” the game after 2-1, leaving open the case for qualification to the quarterfinals of the tournament.

In the… minds of coaches:

Panathinaikos lined up with two changes in relation to the match with Panetolikos, 4-3-3 system and Dioudis under the goalposts. Kotsiras, Veleth, Sarlia and Juankar were the four in defense, while Alexandropoulos, Mauricio and Vigiafanies played on the axis. With Aitor-Palacios fighting at the ends and Makenda at the top of the attack.

Volos on the other hand “came down” having as a formation the 4-1-3-2, Kodnik in the home and Purita, Gulen, Rainer and Ferrari in the back. While Tsokanis played as a “cutter”, with the Regaten. Nini and Bartolo in front of him and Terezio-Van Feert to compose the duo in the attack.

The match:

As is usually the case in their home matches, Panathinaikos was the one who had possession of the ball at the beginning, trying to find open corridors to threaten.

With his opponent, however, waiting for him behind the crossbar, to start pushing later, looking forward to a mistake and his quick attack in the transition…

Somehow, the guests made their first good phase in the 17th minute, with Terezio crossing from the right for Van Feert on the second crossbar, but Kotsiras’s intervention was a catalyst, driving to a corner.

Halfway down the road, the “greens” increased their speed, pushed higher, circulated the ball faster and began to reach the opponents’ frames with demands.

Makenda Κό warned Kodnik in the 21st minute, with his header from Aitor’s foul being misplaced, while three minutes later, he was the one who made it 1-0…

With Palacios winning the ball and serving it to his Italian teammate, who, with a “center-forward” move, turned around and with a very nice finish sent her to rest in the back of the hearth of Volos!

The team of Magnesia found another “against” in the 34th minute, but without transforming it into a final, I beg Sarlia and then saw Aitor star in two more phases of Panathinaikos, which could go to the locker room leading 2-0 .

However, Makenda opened the control in the nice vertical of the Spaniard in the 40th minute, while Aitor with personal energy reached the area, but there… spoiled it, two minutes later.

At the same time, the biggest phase for the “clover” was recorded at 44 ΄ … When from a new “set up” of Aitor, which was intended for Mauricio, on the second crossbar, Veleth overtook his teammate, he made the header, but the ball passed a few outs!

In the replay, Abascal changed the right side of his team with the simultaneous entry of Romero and Fernandes, hoping to improve its operation.

However, it was Panathinaikos who was happy to score in the first opportunity it created, with Alexandropoulos being credited for the whole phase. As he pressed Tsokanis correctly, he stole his ball and Κό executed Kodnik, for 2-0 in 51 ‘!

Volos managed to “respond” just as quickly, scoring a very nice goal in creation and execution, thanks to the cooperation of Van Feert-Fernandes, reducing to 2-1 in the 65th minute!

In fact, then, he took psychology and measures on the field, but without becoming threatening for Dioudis. Jovanovic “refreshed” his center, throwing Ruben Perez in the match in the last 20 minutes, his team overcame the initial shock and looked for a third goal, but it never came.

As on the one hand the guests managed to “extinguish” the game, on the other hand they had the help of luck with them, in 81 ‘.

When Vital sweetly committed a foul from outside the left, but found the ball in Kodnik’s crossbar which he then drove to a corner, in the last memorable phase…

The compositions of the two groups:

Panathinaikos (Ivan Jovanovic): Brinioli, Kotsiras, Veleth, Sarlia, Juankar, Alexandropoulos (90 ‘Bouzoukis), Mauricio, Vigiafanies (69’ Ruben Pereth), Aitor (78 ‘Hatzigiovanis), Maitali (B’).

Volos (Guillermo Abascal): Kodnik, Purita (46 ‘Romero), Gulen, Riner, Ferrari, Tsokanis, Bartolo (46’ Fernandes), Ninis (74 ‘Soares), Regaten (83’ Oroz), Terezio (63 ‘Voitkowski), Van Fer.

Referee: I. Papadopoulos

Assistants: Kon. Nikolaidis, G. Stefanis

4th Referee: Ang. Evangelou

VAR Referee: Efst. Gortsilas

Referee AVAR: P. Patras

See here the description of the match from Match Center