"Green" rationalism.

Control. Discipline. And quite a few other qualities can be attributed to Panathinaikos following the team’s third preseason friendly under the guidance of Jacob Nystrup. 

The “Greens” defeated Grasshoppers 3-0 at Leoforos in front of approximately 15,000 fans, on the evening of July 11, and the team showed that it is continuing on a path that holds great promise.

De Vrij made his unofficial debut in the green jersey; Jagiellon was particularly energetic and scored a goal, Taborda scored again, and Zarouri also found the back of the net.

The Match

Panathinaikos tried to “read” Grasshopper’s pressing and style of play, trying to adjust to the conditions of the match and then implement their own game plan.

The Swiss pushed all their lines very high up the field, and this was a great opportunity for Jacob Nystrup to see just how effective his work was in terms of “breaking” the opponent’s pressure through build-up play, whether from the center backs or from Peña. 

Stefan De Vrij’s presence provided tremendous composure, calm, and stability at the back, while there were also moments when the former “Nerazzurri” defender showed that he knows very well how to send the ball forward to the attack. Despite the pressure from Grasshopper, the “clover’s” goal was never in the slightest danger. At the same time, when Panathinaikos found space, they launched a transition attack… that nearly resulted in a goal, but after Kontouris’s pass to Jagiusic, the latter hit the crossbar in the 25th minute.

The star of that particular play was particularly energetic in the first half, in contrast to Antino, who kept running into obstacles. Tetei also fought hard, but he clearly needed more support from the wingers as well, with Antino and Zarouri failing to provide solutions to the problems posed by the Swiss defense. 

Jagusic finally scored the goal he deserved in the match before being substituted, and the crowd at Leoforos gave him a standing ovation. In the 48th minute, the young Croatian, after receiving a pass from Kalabria—who had now moved to left back— found the back of the net with a left-footed shot from outside the box that took a deflection, making it 1-0. Zarouri picked up the pace somewhat in the second half, Nistrup began making substitutions, bringing on Tsapra, Kamara, and Taborda in midfield, while De Vrij played only one half.

Despite the many substitutions being made gradually, the “Clover” tried not to lose control of the match for even a moment, and the only time Peña was called upon to make a save, with Panathinaikos facing a shot on goal, was… in the final ten minutes.

By then, Zarouri had made it 2-0 in the 70th minute with a right-footed finish following a play that began with a throw-in and a run by Tsapras down the middle, while, in the 88th minute, the third goal came.

Panathinaikos: Peña, Calabria (71’ Biniaris), Kyriakopoulos (46’ Tsapras), De Vrij (46’ Katris), Ingason (60’ Kamara), Tsiriveya (71’ Cerin), Kontouris (60’ Taborda), Zarouri (71’ Pantelidis), Antino (79’ Siopis), Jagiusic (60’ Touba), Tetei (46’ Rastonder)

Highlights of the match