Panathinaikos is looking to secure its first win in the League Phase of the Conference League against Finnish champions Helsinki.
With boosted morale from their victory in Agrinio, which placed them 3rd and just 2 points behind the top, Panathinaikos hosts Helsinki at OAKA. However, the pressure is on their side.
After the draw against Borac in the opening match and losses to Chelsea and Djurgården, Panathinaikos has no more room for mistakes. Today’s game is crucial, as any result other than a win would severely hinder their chances not only of reaching the top 8, but also of advancing to the Conference League play-offs.
Panathinaikos starting lineup:
Londigin, Vagiannidis, Senkefeld, Ingason, Mladenovic, Arau, Bakasetas, Maskimovic, Pellistri, Djuricic, Geremeyev.
Substitutes: Dragovski, Lilo, Max, Ioannidis, Unahi, Tete, Cherin, Mancini, Fikai, Kotsiras, Bregu, Dabizas.
Helsinki starting lineup:
Nihaus, Anjulás, Toivio, Osónesi, Ilytólva, Koksu, Kanelópoulos, Pálas, Meler, Hostika, Ervin.
“Helsinki is a good team with automated movements. The key is to neutralize these actions. There will be moments when we must show intelligence to exploit available spaces. The most important thing is that the players come in with good psychology and great inspiration,” said coach Rui Vitória yesterday.
The Portuguese coach will be without Sporar and Jendvai, with several questions about the starting lineup, with players like Kotsiras, Maksimovic, Pellistri, and Bakasetas competing for spots.
Upcoming Matches for Panathinaikos:
- Panathinaikos – Helsinki (28/11)
- The New Saints – Panathinaikos (12/12)
- Panathinaikos – Dinamo Minsk (19/12)
Conference League Standings:
- Chelsea (16-3) 9
- Legia Warsaw (8-0) 9
- Jagiellonia (7-1) 9
- Rapid Vienna (6-1) 9
- Vitória Guimarães (7-3) 9
- Heidenheim (5-1) 9
- Shamrock Rovers (7-3) 7
- Fiorentina (7-4) 6
- Paphos (5-2) 6
- Olimpija Ljubljana (5-2) 6
- Lugano (5-4) 6
- Hearts (4-3) 6
- Ghent (5-5) 6
- Vikingur (5-5) 6
- Cercle Brugge (7-5) 4
- Djurgården (5-5) 4
- APOEL (3-3) 4
- Betis (3-3) 4
- Borac (2-3) 4
- Celje (7-6) 3
- Omonia (4-3) 3
- Molde (4-5) 3
- Bačka Topola (4-5) 3
- The New Saints (3-4) 3
- Astana (1-3) 3
- Helsinki (1-5) 3
- St. Gallen (6-11) 3
- Noah (2-9) 3
- Copenhagen (4-5) 2
- LASK Linz (2-4) 2
- Panathinaikos (3-7) 1
- Başakşehir (4-9) 1
- Mladá Boleslav (1-5) 0
- Dinamo Minsk (1-7) 0
- Larne (2-9) 0
- Petrocumb (1-9) 0
