In Giorgos Donis’ final game at the helm, Panathinaikos edged OFI out at the OAKA, emerging victorious by a score of 3-2 thanks to a last-gasp penalty save from Vasilis Xenopoulos to deny Joao Figueiredo. This became only Panathinaikos’ second home triumph of the playoffs and their third overall.

OFI end the playoffs without a single victory and only two points from 10 games. Nevertheless, despite finishing in sixth place, they will compete in the 2020/2021 UEFA Europa League. Panathinaikos are banned from participating in UEFA tournaments due to previous financial issues.

THE MATCH

All five goals were witnessed during the concluding 18 minutes of a pulsating first half of proceedings.

With 27 minutes on the clock, Uffe Bech drilled a low effort into the left corner for Panathinaikos, before OFI promptly equalised as Figueiredo from point blank range.

Panathinaikos subsequently regained their lead in the 35th minute as Federico Macheda prodded the ball into the empty net following a poor mistake from OFI goalkeeper Oscar Whalley.

Nevertheless, that didn’t deter OFI, as the Cretans quickly tallied a second equaliser just 120 seconds later with the unmarked Ricardo Vaz calmly knocking his attempt past Xenopoulos.

However, unfortunately for OFI, that wasn’t enough to get to the break level as Tasos Chatzigiovanis lashed Macheda’s cross beyond the stricken Whalley.

In the 76th minute, Panagiotis Deligiannidis thought he had scored a third OFI marker, but he was rightly flagged for offside.

OFI missed a golden opportunity to gain a point in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Following a handball by Dimitris Kolovetsios, Figueiredo stepped up to the penalty mark for the Cretan club, but his spot-kick was saved by Xenopoulos and the Brazilian striker contrived to somehow knock the ensuing rebound wide.

THE TEAMS

Panathinaikos: Xenopoulos, Kolovetsios, Schenkeveld, Kourbelis (Alexandropoulos 46’), Theocharis, Serpezis (Kolovos 57’), Bouzoukis, Zagaritis, Bech (Tzavidas 76’) Chatzigiovanis (Athanasakopoulos 68’), Macheda (Perea 68’).

OFI: Whalley, Deligiannidis, Giannoulis, Joao Victor (Vafeas 61’), Braun, Neira, Staikos, Vaz (Korovesis 66’), Nabi (Mingos 79’), Nikokyrakis (Sournakis 68’), Figueiredo.

credits: www.agonasport.com