Panathinaikos vs Plzen – News and Probable Lineups

Panathinaikos will take on Viktoria Plzen in Marousi for the second time during this Europa League campaign, as the two teams face off in the first leg of their knockout playoff tie on Thursday.

The two teams previously met in December during matchday six of the league phase, finishing in a goalless draw which marked their first encounter.

Match overview

Despite having a one-man advantage just after the half-hour mark, a large portion of possession, and recording 17 shots — four of those on target — Panathinaikos managed only a draw against Plzen, a result that initiated a streak of ties to conclude the league phase.

Draws against Ferencvaros (1–1) and Roma (1–1) in matchdays seven and eight, respectively, meant that Shamrock did not record a win or loss in their last three matches of the eight-game segment following a contrasting trend in their initial five fixtures (W3, L2).

After finishing in 20th place in the league-phase standings, Rafael Benitez’s squad missed out on automatic qualification by four points, yet secured a playoff berth due to a three-point cushion above the relegation zone.

This puts Panathinaikos in line for their second appearance in the Europa League knockout rounds after their last-16 exit to Standard Liege in the 2009–10 season, though they are not entirely new to deep runs in continental competitions.

The Shamrock reached the round of 16 in the Conference League playoffs last season, where they exited against Fiorentina, and they have previously reached the semi-finals and quarter-finals of the Champions League in the 1995–96 and 2001–02 seasons, respectively, showcasing their European pedigree ahead of Thursday’s fixture.

However, recent performances do not inspire much confidence, as Panathinaikos has only managed two wins in their last nine games across all competitions (D4, L3), tallying seven goals while conceding ten during this period, indicating an issue at both ends of the pitch.

The latest result was a 1–1 draw against AEL Larissa on Sunday, which left the Shamrock in fifth place in the Super League regular-season table, trailing the top four by six points, although they have a game in hand.

Furthermore, Benitez and his team have managed to score once or not at all in three of their last four home fixtures, during which they have only achieved one win (D2, L1), a stark contrast to their previous five matches at home, where they registered four wins and one draw.

Conversely, Plzen has seen an improvement in their away form, claiming victory in all of their last four away matches, including a 2–1 win against Sigma Olomouc over the weekend, which positions Martin Hysky’s side fifth in the Czech Liga regular-season standings.

Viktoria’s notable away run includes a 1–0 victory at Basel in their last league phase match, making them the only team unbeaten in the main stage of the Europa League this season.

Nevertheless, their difficulty in converting draws into wins ultimately hurt them in the quest for a top-eight finish, as the Czech team recorded three wins and five draws to end up in 14th place out of 36 teams, two points short of the automatic qualification spots.

Aiming to reach the Europa League last 16 for consecutive seasons, after achieving direct qualification last term, Plzen can approach Thursday’s match with confidence, bolstered by their solid defense, having conceded only three goals — the least among Europe’s top two tiers this season.

The visitors have also gone unbeaten in their last nine matches across all competitions (W7, D2) and can be expected to assert themselves in Athens, after winning each of their past four fixtures while netting at least twice in the last three.

Team News

Panathinaikos will continue to be without Filip Djuricic, who has been out since January, while Cyriel Dessers is still recovering from a thigh injury sustained while on international duty in December.

Facundo Pellistri last played for the Shamrock in round seven of the league phase, and he has been absent from the matchday squad in the six matches that followed, while Pedro Chirivella has also been unavailable due to a calf injury during this same period.

Former Tottenham player Moussa Sissoko has been unavailable since joining from Watford in January, and Giannis Kotsiras may miss a third consecutive match, with Sverrir Ingi Ingason also a doubt following his exclusion from the last outing.

Karol Swiderski is back in contention for European duty after serving a suspension in the league phase’s final match, while Manolis Siopis, Ahmed Touba, and Anastasios Bakasetas are all one booking away from a suspension.

Plzen will welcome back Matej Vydra, who missed their last European fixture due to suspension, while Prince Adu, Merchas Doski, Vaclav Jemelka, and even head coach Hysky are one yellow card away from disciplinary action.

Jan Paluska is still on the road to recovery from an injury sustained last November, while the January signings Vaclav Mika and Viktor Baier are also yet to make their debuts due to fitness concerns.

Centre-forward Daniel Vasulin was missing from the squad that faced Olomouc during the weekend, casting doubt on his availability for this match, while Salim Lawal is also uncertain after being substituted with an injury last time out.

Panathinaikos probable starting XI:

Font; Katris, Jedvaj, Palmer-Brown; Calabria, Cerin, Bacasetas, Hernandez; Taborda, Andeno; Aunt

Viktoria Plzen probable starting XI:

Wiegele; Memic, Krcik, Jemelka, Doski; Deer, Hrosoxy; Souare, Ladra, Visinsky; Vydra

Given Panathinaikos’ recent struggles in attack and Plzen’s solid defense in European fixtures, goals are anticipated to be scarce in this matchup.

Nonetheless, the hosts have yet to lose any of their five continental games since Benitez took the helm (W2, D3), indicating that their resilience might be critical, with home advantage likely to play a role and a solitary goal possibly being sufficient to decide the outcome.