By: Peter Katsiris
Action in the UEFA Europa League continues on Thursday night (22:05 GR, ANT1) as Panathinaikos FC are welcomed to the Romanian capital by FC Dinamo 1948 Bucuresti. Contrasting results for both clubs on matchday one sees Dinamo in a favourable position to grab their second win of the campaign, while Panathinaikos are keen to start fresh after a miserable matchday one.
Dinamo Drive
A late goal from Gabriel Tamas gave Dinamo an edgy 1-0 win over SK Sturm Graz in Austria on match-day one, and Dario Bonetti's side is poised to make it two wins from two on Thursday night.
A weekend loss to domestic foes AS Gaz Metan Medias sees the capital club in a recuperating state as they lie seventh in the Liga 1 table after eight matches. But despite a series of poor performances on the domestic front, the Romanian giants have shown consistency in Europe.
Their campaign kicked off in the play-off round against Slovakian side FC Slovan Liberec, and even though crowd trouble caused for the abandonment of the first leg and a default 3-0 defeat for the Romanians, Dinamo notched three goals in Slovakia and ultimately progress to the group stages via a penalty shootout win.
Here in the group stages, Dinamo are aiming to earn a ticket to the knockout round - a feat they did just once during the existence of the now defunct UEFA Cup. A win would surely put Dinamo in the driver's seat for one of the two qualifying spots in the group, and in a prime position to hang on for top honours ahead of two crucial fixtures with Turkish heavyweights Galatasaray AS.
Confidence Boost
A perfect start to the Greek Super League season would seemingly encourage Panathinaikos to do the same in Europe - but the Trifylli have lost all but one match in Europe this season. Beaten out by Clube Atletico de Madrid for a spot in the UEFA Champions League, Panathinaikos settled for a spot in the Europa League.
Labelled as one of the favourites out of this section, the Athenian side didn't look it as they were pegged for three goals by Aegean rivals Galatasaray for a 3-1 defeat at the OAKA Spyros Louis Stadium in the Greek capital.
Looking for redemption in Romania on Thursday night, Panathinaikos will be boosted by their recent derby success over AEK Athens FC after Dimitrios Salpingidis netted the lone goal in a 1-0 win on Sunday.
With manager Henk ten Cate already making headlines after an altercation with a cameraman outside Bucharest's main airport, Panathinaikos will be keen to avoid getting sidetracked from their European goals on Thursday night.
An injury to Frederic Kante will force ten Care to improvise at left-back as the Frenchman was ruled ineligible by team doctors, while striker Djibrill Cisse remains out as he continues to serve his suspension.
Also in Group F
The group's other fixture takes place in Turkey as Galatasaray hosts Sturm Graz at the Ali Ami Yen Stadium. A weekend loss for the Turks, their first of the season to ruin a previously unblemished domestic record, sees Frank Riijkaard's team looking to refresh with success on the European front.
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