Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos’ fans will hold nothing back as 70,000 of them cram into the Spiros Louis stadium for this key European clash, but they may find their heroes on the pitch being a good bit more reserved.
Henk ten Cate’s men carry a one goal advantage from the first leg, in which they played a disciplined, defensive game in the altogether more intimate atmosphere of the Madrigal.
That pressure-cooker of a ground didn’t faze them too much as the Greens took a fizzer of a lead through Giorgios Karagounis’ superb long-range strike, but an equaliser later in proceedings has made the task at home all the harder.
However, all indications are that Panathinaikos will use their trademark strength and determination to attempt to secure passage to the final eight for the first time since 2002.
Villarreal
Villarreal, meanwhile, haven’t been in the best run of form recently. The Yellow Submarine are still flying high in La Primera, but with the weekend win over Espanyol being both narrow and fortunate, questions are being asked of this side.
Indeed, were it not for the form of goalkeeper Diego Lopez, not to mention some awful finishing from the Perequitos, Villarreal would almost certainly have suffered defeat, or at least a draw, against one of the Liga’s weakest sides.
So, the clean sheet in that 1-0 win will not be treated as fully secure by coach Manuel Pellegrini, who must realise that his troops need to improve significantly if they are to find their way through.
However, there is a snag: they are obliged to score at least once, necessitating some balance in midfield. As such the wide players are likely to be of a creative bent, and with Giuseppe Rossi playing up front there is always the chance that a moment of genius could see Pana punished.
Suspensions & Injuries
Ioannis Goumas is suspended for the Spaniards’ visit, while Sotiris Leontiou remains out due to injury. Sotiris Ninis and Silva Cleyton have been omitted from the squad list, as in the first leg. Junior Simao, Gilberto Silva, and Nikolaos Spiropoulos are one booking away from suspension. Henk ten Cate is liable to go with a defensive formation, probably of the 4-5-1 nature with Silva, Mattos, and of course Karagounis in the middle.
Coach Manuel Pellegrini called up 21 players for the journey, the only regular absentee being Gonzalo, who is sidelined through injury. A 4-4-2 setup seems likely for this side, or Giuseppe Rossi could start alone up front in order to allow a more 4-1-4-1 style. Nobody is suspended for the Yellow Submarine, with Joan Capdevila and Guille Franco returning from their respective sanctions. Franco, along with Ariel Ibagaza, Angel Lopez, and Marcos Senna, will miss the next game if booked.
Prediction
This cagey match will be decided in the details, and Pana will grab a late, late goal to see them clear into the final eight. Villarreal, then, will pay the price for a bit of tiredness, but will go down fighting nonetheless.
My prediction: Panathinaikos Level
Source: Ewan Macdonald, Goal.com
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