Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Preview: Panathinaikos vs. Dnipro-1 - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 30 July 2023, 08:29
Fresh from a dominant two-goal win in the first leg of their Champions League second qualifying round clash, Panathinaikos host a beleaguered Dnipro-1 side in Tuesday's return fixture at the Leoforos Alexandras Stadium.

Ivan Jovanovic's men ran out 3-1 victors during their opening showdown, which was played on neutral territory in Slovakia as conflict continues to rage in Dnipro-1's homeland.

Match preview

Entering in the second qualifying round of the Champions League thanks to their second-placed finish in the 2022-23 Greek Super League - only finishing worse off than AEK Athens - Panathinaikos have one foot firmly in the third round courtesy of a routine Slovakian success last time out.

Andraz Sporar, Filip Djuricic and Fotis Ioannidis propelled the Greek giants into a healthy three-goal lead before Volodymyr Tanchyk's consolation gave Dnipro a small sliver of hope, but barring an Athens upset, Panathinaikos will live to fight another day in Europe.

A 1-0 friendly loss to Rayo Vallecano seven days before their opening continental affair was hardly ideal preparation for Panathinaikos, but the 20-time Greek champions had gone unbeaten in their previous six exhibition encounters and have returned to the Champions League with a bang following an eight-year absence from the top tier.

One-time European Cup finalists in 1971 - which ended in a 2-0 defeat to Ajax - Panathinaikos were Champions League regulars just after the turn of the millennium, but not since the 2010-11 season have the Greens been present in the group stage.

The hosts have also experienced a couple of failed ventures in the Europa League since then, but they have never been eliminated from the second round of Champions League qualifying and ought to be most people's picks to maintain that unblemished record here.

Unlike their Greek counterparts, Ukrainian powerhouses Dnipro did manage to navigate their pre-season period without suffering a single defeat, but that record paled into insignificance when Panathinaikos' quality shone through last week.

Nevertheless, Tanchyk's 90th-minute effort did at least reduce the arrears for Oleksandr Kucher's side, who are by no means down and out in the tie, but their European pedigree is far inferior to that of the Greens.

Indeed, last week's 3-1 loss represented Dnipro's first-ever Champions League match in just their second year of continental competition; the 2022-23 season saw the Ukrainian side lose 5-1 to AEK Larnaca in the Europa League playoff round before progressing through the Europa Conference League group stage, only for the Cypriot outfit to once again be the thorn in their side in the first knockout stage.

Amid their continental baptism, Kucher's men placed second in the 2022-23 Ukrainian Premier League behind Shakhtar Donetsk to dine at Europe's top table for the first time, but nothing less than a miracle will do for Dnipro if they are to set up a daunting third-round affair with French behemoths Marseille.

Panathinaikos Champions League form:

W

Dnipro-1 Champions League form:

L

Team News

Panathinaikos' first-leg success was not an entirely perfect evening for manager Jovanovic, who lost centre-back and captain Bart Schenkeveld to injury with just 24 minutes gone last Tuesday.

It is unclear how severe the Dutchman's problem is, but Lokomotiv Moscow loanee Tin Jedvaj is on standby to cover for his skipper, who represents the hosts' only fresh fitness concern ahead of the second leg.

Summer signings Djuricic and Tonny Vilhena should once again link up in a new-look midfield for Panathinaikos, while Sporar should edge out fellow goalscorer Ioannidis in the two-horse battle to lead the line, with support from former Everton winger Bernard.

As for Dnipro, Kucher should be working with the same crop of players from the first leg, with defender Vitaliy Fedoriv and midfielder Oleksiy Gutsulyak fine to feature despite serving lengthy domestic suspensions.

However, Gutsulyak's spot on the right is now under threat from super sub Tanchyk, while left-back Yanis Hamache and midfielder Oleksandr Pikhalyonok are both in the infirmary with unspecified injury problems.

Similarly to Panathinaikos' Schenkeveld, Dnipro's captain Oleksandr Svatok also failed to complete the full 90 minutes in the first leg, but there is nothing to suggest that the Ukraine international will not be fit to start this one.

Panathinaikos possible starting lineup:

Brignoli; Kotsiras, Jedvaj, Magnusson, Juankar; Vilhena, Perez, Djuricic; Palacios, Sporar, Bernard

Dnipro-1 possible starting lineup:

Kinareykin; Adamyuk, Svatok, Sarapiy, Kravets; Babenko, Blanco; Tanchyk, Rubchynskyi, Tretyakov; Dovbyk

We say: Panathinaikos 2-0 Dnipro-1 (Panathinaikos win 5-1 on aggregate)

Having already asserted their dominance over Dnipro on neutral ground, Panathinaikos should make lightning strike twice on home soil to cruise into the third round of Champions League qualifying.

Previews by email

Top News

25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk No doubt one of the most eagerly-awaited battles of the 2024-25 Champions League, six-time winners Liverpool and 15-time champions Real Madrid collide in Wednesday's mouthwatering Anfield showdown. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona will be aiming to return to winning ways when they host Brest in the Champions League on Tuesday night. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bayern Munich will welcome Paris Saint-Germain to Allianz Arena in the Champions League on Tuesday night. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk At risk of a scarcely believable sixth straight loss in all competitions, a wounded Manchester City take on Feyenoord in the Champions League league phase on Tuesday. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fresh from a first Premier League victory in weeks, Arsenal's next Champions League quest on Tuesday night sees them visit a Sporting Lisbon side who have won a staggering 14 home games on the spin. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven welcome Shakhtar Donetsk to the Philips Stadion on matchday five of the Champions League this wednesday. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Strong starters Monaco welcome an in-form Benfica side to the Stade Louis II on matchday five of the Champions League on Wednesday night. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly included defender Kieran Tierney in their travelling squad for Tuesday night's Champions League clash at Sporting Lisbon. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Luka Modric has named a star-studded six-a-side team of footballing legends but there's no room for Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City's Champions League encounter with Feyenoord at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday is "a must-win for many reasons", Citizens expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has told Sports Mole. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City have received a double injury boost ahead of Tuesday night's Champions League clash with Feyenoord at the Etihad. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Resuming their debut Champions League campaign, Aston Villa will tackle Serie A giants Juventus on Wednesday evening, when Unai Emery must make a couple of big selection calls. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Istanbul Basaksehir and Petrocub Hincesti are winless in this season's Conference League heading into Wednesday's matchday four encounter at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reeling after a run of five consecutive defeats, an unprecedented run of poor form under manager Pep Guardiola, who watched his team suffer a heavy 4-0 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League last weekend. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reeling after a run of five consecutive defeats, an unprecedented run of poor form under manager Pep Guardiola, who watched his team suffer a heavy 4-0 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League last weekend. 25 November 2024 talksport.com A non-league side have been able to see the funny side after their pitch was left underwater by Storm Bert. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal are reportedly prepared to reject any offers for William Saliba, who is attracting interest from Real Madrid. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Premier League clubs are not renowned for their patience when firing managers, and we've just had our second sacking of 2024/25. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Liverpool have the chance to go 11 points clear of Premier League champions Manchester City when the two sides meet this weekend. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reportedly involved in the race for the services of Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, with Chelsea keen on the player. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Turkish giants Besiktas are reportedly interested in signing Fulham winger Adama Traore in the January transfer window. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Champions League rookies Aston Villa will seek a home hat-trick on Wednesday evening, when they host Italian giants Juventus. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Sepp van den Berg has suggested that he has no regrets over leaving Liverpool for Brentford during the summer transfer window. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Mohamed Salah has conceded he's 'probably more out than in' when it comes to staying at Liverpool beyond this season. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ed Sheeran has taken to social media to apologise to Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim after interrupting his interview with Sky Sports. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Napoli forward Victor Osimhen is reportedly attracting interest from a new club ahead of the January transfer window. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Pep Guardiola is confident that his Manchester City side can both quickly turn their fortunes around and enjoy a successful season in spite of their recent dip in form. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim singled out Joshua Zirkzee and Jonny Evans after Sunday's 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town in the Premier League. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Hoping to end a 15-year sequence without a win against Real Madrid, Liverpool butt heads with the reigning Champions League champions at Anfield on Wednesday evening. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City have reportedly identified Ederson and Martin Zubimendi as top targets to bolster their midfield in January.
Thu 28 Nov, 17:45
EL
Qarabag Qarabag
-
sch
Lyon Lyon
Thu 28 Nov, 20:00
EL
Nice Nice
-
sch
Rangers Rangers