Panathinaikos grab vital goal in Spain

PANATHINAIKOS gave themselves an excellent chance of qualifying for the Champions League quarter-finals by scoring a vital away goal against Villarreal last night.

Giorgos Karagounis gave the Greek side the lead midway through the second half in Spain and although Guiseppe Rossi equalised with a penalty seven minutes later, Henk Ten Cate’s men will fancy their chances of going through when the teams meet in Athens in a fortnight.

The hosts were the first to threaten when Angel Lopez latched on to Marcos Senna’s raking cross-field ball, cut inside and shot from the right corner of the box but Mario Galinovic was equal to it, saving well.

As Villarreal began to dominate, a neat exchange between Senna and Rossi created an opportunity for the latter in the 20th minute but Giannis Goumas made a superb last-ditch tackle to deny the striker. Karagounis made his first contribution midway through the half when his 20-yard strike was comfortably held by Diego Lopez.

The hosts could have gone behind just after the half-hour mark when Diego Lopez, in catching a Karagounis free-kick, stepped back over his goal line but although TV replays suggested the ball may have gone over, the referee waved play on.

Villarreal continued to have the upper hand after half-time but could not break the deadlock,

Panathinaikos then injected a much-needed spark into the match in the 59th minute when Karagounis burst through and unleashed a rasping right-footed shot into the top left corner.

The visitors almost doubled the lead when Mantzios flummoxed the Villarreal defence with some neat skill and a fierce shot but Diego Lopez turned away his effort.

Villarreal were soon level though, the instrumental Rossi firing home from the spot in the 66th minute after he was fouled by Jakub Wawrzyniak.

VILLARREAL: Diego Lopez, Angel, Senna, Fuentes, Godin, Eguren (Pires 62), Santi Cazorla, Ibagaza (Cani 71), Bruno, Rossi, Llorente (Nihat 61).

PANATHINAIKOS: Galinovic, Spiropoulos, Nilsson, Wawrzyniak, Sarriegi, Goumas, Vyntra, Silva, Karagounis (Salpingidis 84), Simao, Mantzios (Salpingidis 90).

Referee: Konrad Plautz (Austria)