Panathinaikos dominated the pitch at the OAKA Stadium, secured an emphatic 3–0 victory over Aris and celebrated qualification for the semi-finals of the Greek Cup, where they will face PAOK in two-legged ties for a place in the final.
The Greens showed their determination on the field, led by captain Tasos Bakasetas, who scored all three goals and recorded the first hat-trick of his career wearing the green jersey. With Pavlos Pantelidis and 16-year-old Iasonas Nebis making their debuts, Rafa Benitez’s Panathinaikos continued their positive start to 2026, inspiring hope and promising signs for the future.
Panathinaikos started the match aggressively, eager to take control from the outset. They created their first chance in the 5th minute after a run by Pantelidis and a pass to Tetteh, who came close to scoring his first goal with the club but was denied at the last moment by Alvaro. Aris responded in the 10th minute through Montsu, whose initial effort was saved by Lafont before his follow-up went wide.
The Greens had another big chance in the 12th minute, once again following a move initiated by Pantelidis, with Tetteh involved and Bocos as the final recipient, attempting an audacious backheel finish. Panathinaikos’ dominance paid off in the 16th minute: Calabria delivered a low cross from the right, Swiderski smartly laid the ball off to Bakasetas, who struck first-time and sent the ball into the left corner past Athanasiadis to make it 1–0.
The first half ended with the score unchanged, with each side having one more good opportunity: Panathinaikos in the 27th minute with a backheel attempt from Pantelidis, and Aris in the 35th minute when Moron was denied by a superb save from Lafont, who had returned from the Africa Cup of Nations to reclaim his place in the starting XI.
Aris attempted to surprise Panathinaikos early in the second half, creating a double chance in the 47th minute through Panagidis and Montsu. From that point on, however, Panathinaikos completely took over. In the 53rd minute, Rose brought down Swiderski inside the box, referee Evangelou awarded a penalty, and Bakasetas converted powerfully to make it 2–0.
Benitez’s players kept pressing. Calabria had a double chance in the 56th minute, while Pantelidis nearly scored on his debut in the 60th. The third goal once again came from the penalty spot: Rose fouled Touba in the area, VAR called for an on-field review, and the clear penalty was confirmed. Bakasetas stepped up once more and struck decisively to complete the 3–0 scoreline and secure his first hat-trick for Panathinaikos.
In the remaining minutes, the Greens managed their lead comfortably, while Rafa Benitez gave playing time to players returning from injury, such as Kyriakopoulos, Renato and Padovic. At the same time, he handed a debut to 16-year-old Iasonas Nebis, a forward from Panathinaikos’ U19 team.
Panathinaikos: Lafont, Calabria, Kotsiras (71’ Kyriakopoulos), Touba, Ingason, Chirivella, Bakasetas (78’ Renato Sanches), Pantelidis (71’ Zaroury), Bocos, Swiderski (90’ Nebis), Tetteh (71’ Padovic).
Aris: Athanasiadis, Alvaro, Rose (66’ Fabiano), Tejero, Fadiga, Montsu, Racic (66’ Dudu), Jensen (75’ Boussaid), Panagidis, Perez (66’ Galanopoulos), Moron (87’ Donis).
