By: Georgios Kioussis
Panathinaikos have made it two wins from two matches in Greek Super League play this season following a 1-0 defeat of Skoda Xanthi, Sunday at the OAKA Spiros Louis. Kostas Katsouranis' thumping header in the latter stages of the first half secured the Athenian outfit maximum points in their tussle with Wolfgang Wolf's men.
In truth, the proceedings were far less even than what the close score line might suggest, the visitors packing men behind the ball and rarely venturing forward. Pana outshot their opponents nine-to-zero, while winning seventeen corners to Xanthi's one. As such, it came as little surprise that Pana also enjoyed the lion's share of possession, though gilt-edged chances were scarce in the early going.
Sebastian Leto's effort after a quarter-hour was the first time the Greens threatened Michael Gspurning's net, but the Argentine's lashed-at volley flew high of the crossbar.
From there, the hosts would continue pressing in and around the opposition area, winning a series of corners that Xanthi's organized defense was more than happy to clear.
But the Thracian outfit suffered from a lack of concentration on 40 minutes, Katsouranis darting to the near post to head Lazaros Christodoulopoulos' in-swinging corner past a stranded Gspurning.
The breakthrough forced Wolfgang Wolf to reshuffle his cards, the German tactician introducing Marcelo Leite Pereira and Peter Styvar shortly after the restart. And, on 68 minutes, his decision nearly paid dividends. Marcelo's teasing free kick forced Filippos Darlas into an awkward defensive header that would have ended up in the back of the net if not for Mario Galinovic's astonishing reflex save.
It perhaps served as a wake up call for Henk ten Cate's men, who within twenty seconds fashioned their own chance at the other end. Sotiris Ninis slipped Djibril Cisse into the area, and the striker unleashed a powerful drive that forced Gspurning into a sharp save.
The Greens would continue to mount the pressure, Ninis testing Gspurning with a volley from the edge of the area that the goalkeeper superbly tipped around his upright.
The youngster would find himself in another promising position in stoppage time, only to drag his shot wide.
But by then the result was all but sealed, the hosts never really coming under any duress and seeing off the match in relative comfort.
Panathinaikos (Henk Ten Cate) - Galinovic, Gabriel, Bjarsmyr, Sarriegi, Darlas, Gilberto (C), Katsouranis, Christodoulopoulos (Ninis 67'), Leto (Spyropoulos 90+'), Salpingidis (Rukavina 81'), Cisse
Skoda Xanthi (Wolfgang Wolf) - Gspurning, Kostoulas, Jaggy, Papadimitriou (C), Vallas, Quintana, Zienczuk (Marcelo 57'), Strba, Kukielka (Taider 72'), Poy, Souanis (Styvar 57')
Goals - Katsouranis (40')
Bookings - Papadimitriou (45'), Strba (60'), Darlas (67'), Quintana (71'), Sarriegi (80')
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