Braga will look to protect their slender lead when they travel to Greece to play Panathinaikos in the Champions League. Artur Jorge’s team was only seconds away from leading Athens by two goals, but Panathinaikos’ dramatic comeback gave the Greek giants a good opportunity to escape with their lives.
Preview (Panathinaikos vs. Braga)
Panathinaikos had little to fear when they faced Braga at Estadio Municipal since they had a full eight days to rest and recover following their thrilling penalty-shootout victory over Marseille in round three. Ivan Jovanovic’s team was able to contain their opponents until the halftime siren. Abel Ruiz eventually broke the Shamrocks’ defensive fortitude. Alvaro Djalo doubled Braga’s lead before Daniel Mancini cut the deficit with five minutes remaining in regulation.
The absence of the away goals rule will not help Panathinaikos on Tuesday night. Jovanovic’s team is far from out of it. Their recent 3-0 Greek Super League victory against Volos served as the ideal prelude to their next European match. With goals from Adam Gnezda Cerin, Fotis Ioannidis, and Benjamin Verbic, Panathinaikos was able to start their new domestic campaign off strong.
Panathinaikos could qualify for the Champions League group stage for the first time since the 2010–11 season. Even if Jovanovic’s team is unable to overcome the odds, a seven-year absence from Europa League play would still be a significant improvement. A Champions League homecoming is now within reach for Braga. They have often entered the field on Thursday nights to the Europa League anthem. In the third qualifying round, Jorge’s team destroyed Serbian rivals Backa Topola 7-1 on the road. However, the less said about their group-stage records on both occasions, the better.
Team News
Panathinaikos manager Jovanovic had the option of making many changes for his club’s league debut. His players also came out of that match unharmed on the fitness front. Verbic and Mancini have both made their team’s goalposts bulge during the last week. Sebastian Palacios, a fellow attacker, was substituted before the end of games against Braga and Volos. His position in the team may now be seriously in jeopardy. Ioannidis has also made a compelling argument to replace Andraz Sporar at the attack’s spearhead. Filip Djuricic should be called back to the number 10 position as former Everton winger Bernard returns to the bench.
However, in the first leg of last week’s match, Braga’s manager Jorge was forced to make an unwelcome early substitute when Al-Musrati, a midfield screen, was removed after just 36 minutes due to what appeared to be a foot sprain after a tackle. As of this writing, the seriousness of the Libyan’s issue is still unknown, and it is uncertain whether he will be able to go to Athens with his teammates. As a result, Andre Horta and Vitor Carvalho could fill the double pivot spot. Long-serving attacker and captain Ricardo Horta, the brother of the former, assisted on both goals scored by Braga in the first leg, giving him a total of four assists in the Champions League qualification stages.
Panathinaikos 1 – 1 Braga
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