Gjagkusic scored, but the lead slipped
Panathinaikos 1–1 CSKA 1948 in the first leg last Thursday at OAKA (1). Gjagkusic put your team ahead, but the Bulgarian side found an equaliser and left Athens with an away goal. Your team controlled stretches of the game but could not put it to bed.
The return leg: everything still on the line
The tie is wide open. Panathinaikos are considered favourites to advance (1) (2). The second leg will decide who reaches the Conference League playoff stage. Every fan in the stadium, every tackle, every chance, this is a single match with a European campaign riding on it.
Ingason, Kalabria, Pantelidis, Tetey all out
The injury list is brutal. Ingason is out with a cruciate ligament rupture. Kalabria has a meniscus injury. Pantelidis is gone for six to seven months with a fibula fracture. Tetey is hospitalised with infectious mononucleosis. That is four players Nistrup cannot call on for the return leg.
Livai Garcia and Desers registered for the squad
The club moved fast. Livai Garcia arrives on loan from Spartak Moscow with a purchase option, and both he and new signing Desers were registered in the UEFA squad list before the deadline. Both are available for the second leg. Fresh legs in attack, exactly when the squad needed them.
Fan reactions
The mood is anxious but determined. One fan is scrambling to find a Greek bar or Rapid supporters' spot in Vienna to watch the return leg, asking the community for help with no clear answer yet. The thread is short, but the urgency is real, nobody wants to miss this one. See the post
