Panathinaikos achieved their first win against a Spanish team in 17 European matches with a 2-0 victory over Villarreal at the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium in their inaugural 2023/24 UEFA Europa League (UEL) match.
Having won only one of their last 18 UEL matches, Panathinaikos began the game on the offensive to try and improve their poor record. The Greens’ captain, Bart Schenkeveld, narrowly missed the target with a header from Bernard’s corner.
However, it was Villarreal, making their first UEL appearance since winning the trophy in 2020/21, who missed a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 17th minute. José Luis Morales decided to shoot wide instead of passing to the frustration of his teammates.
Ultimately, Morales and Villarreal would regret that missed chance as Fotis Ioannidis latched onto Giannis Kotsiras’ excellent through-ball and skillfully chipped the ball over the advancing Pepe Reina to give Panathinaikos a slim lead going into halftime. In an effort to secure the victory, Panathinaikos once again posed a threat in the second half.
Only a perfectly timed last-ditch interception by Villarreal defender Aïssa Mandi denied Ioannidis a second goal of the night. Knowing he needed to improve his team’s attacking performance, Villarreal’s manager, Pacheta, brought on Alexander Sørloth and Gerard Moreno, the Yellow Submarine’s all-time leading goalscorer, for the final half-hour of the match. However, despite the changes in attack for Villareal, Panathinaikos sealed the win in the 78th minute. Andraž Šporar found himself unmarked by the retreating Villarreal defense in and around the penalty area, allowing the Slovenian international to pick the perfect spot in the far corner.
Panathinaikos’ victory marks an excellent start to their UEL campaign as they aim to qualify for the knockout stages, a feat they have not achieved in their last four attempts. Meanwhile, Villarreal will leave Greece disappointed after surrendering their previously unbeaten head-to-head record”