The qualification had drama, suspense and, above all, true Panathinaikos spirit! Jacob Neestrup’s Greens produced a courageous performance in Czechia to celebrate a memorable qualification for the League Phase of the UEFA Conference League.
After a dramatic and tense encounter that ended 1-1 in normal time and went into extra time, the Shamrock prevailed 2-1, scoring the winning goal in the 125th minute through Cyriel Dessers’ successfully converted penalty. The striker had also opened the scoring for Panathinaikos in the 72nd minute, before Hradec Králové equalized in the 92nd.
Panathinaikos emerged victorious, successfully completing a highly demanding qualifying campaign without the benefit of any safety net. The matches against Paksi, CSKA 1948 and Hradec Králové were all do-or-die encounters with no second chances.
And all this was achieved by a new team that is still taking shape, still being built and still developing its character. That makes this qualification even more valuable. Panathinaikos will compete in the League Phase or group stage of a European competition for the fourth consecutive season—and the best is yet to come for the Greens.
Hradec Králové attempted to catch Panathinaikos off guard and threatened as early as the third minute, when Cech headed the ball across the box. However, Katris made a crucial intervention ahead of Mihalik to avert a major threat. The Czech side came close again in the 15th minute, but Peña produced a double save to deny Horak and Darida.
In the 29th minute, the Greens—who had gradually begun to improve their performance—lost Chirivella through injury, with Kontouris taking his place. Panathinaikos’ dominance produced two excellent opportunities in the closing stages of the first half. In the 40th minute, Taborda, Tetteh and Levi Garcia combined brilliantly, but García’s shot went narrowly wide. The same player threatened again in the third minute of first-half stoppage time, sliding in to meet Kyriakopoulos’ cross.
The Shamrock took control from the outset of the second half and threatened in the 59th minute with a powerful effort from Kontouris. A minute later, Neestrup made a triple substitution, introducing Dessers, Calabria and Andino in place of Tetteh, Katris and Pellistri.
The Greens applied pressure and were rewarded in the 72nd minute. Taborda delivered an excellent free-kick from the right, and Dessers rose above everyone before powering a header into the net to make it 0-1.
Further major opportunities followed. In the 75th minute, Zadrazil produced a spectacular save to keep out Taborda’s curling effort, while a triple attempt involving Levi Garcia and Dessers failed to find the target in the 81st.
Instead of scoring a second goal and sealing qualification, Panathinaikos were once again forced to take the hard road. Darida equalized in the 92nd minute to make it 1-1 and send the match into extra time.
There, the Greens also lost Kontouris through injury, with Jagusic replacing him in the 97th minute. The Croatian had Panathinaikos’ best opportunity of extra time in the 116th minute, but was denied by the Hradec Králové goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation.
Just when everything suggested that qualification would be decided by a penalty shootout for yet another summer, Dessers had the final word. The experienced Panathinaikos striker was stepped on by Neto inside the penalty area while challenging for the ball. After being alerted by the VAR, the referee reviewed the incident and awarded the penalty.
In the 125th minute, Cyriel Dessers kept his composure, converted from the spot and dramatically sealed Panathinaikos’ ticket to the League Phase of the UEFA Conference League.
Hradec Králové: Zadrazil, Uhrincať, Cihák, Cech, Ludvícek (77’ Valenta), Darida, Dancák (77’ Trubac), Horák, Oumar (60’ Sloncík), Van Buren, Mihálik (21’ Vlkanova, 119’ Neto).
Panathinaikos: Pena, Katris (60’ Calabria), De Vrij, Van Drongelen, Kyriakopoulos, Camara, Chirivella (29’ Kontouris, 97’ Jagusic), Taborda, Pellistri (60’ Andino), Levi García (82’ Palmer-Brown), Tetteh (60’ Dessers).
