Panathinaikos arrive as heavy favorites despite fielding a heavily rotated side — six regular starters missing from the XI signals early-season squad management under Jacob Neestrup, and that could disrupt their rhythm. CSKA 1948 have built their qualifying campaign on defensive…
Sign in for full analysis →Sign in to view how our call changed
Sign inPanathinaikos welcome Bulgarian side CSKA 1948 to their Stadio Apóstolos Nikolaidis home on Tuesday, August 5, for the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round tie. The 16,620-capacity ground in Athens will stage a clash between a Greek giant with deep European pedigree and a visiting team competing in just its fourth continental tie.
The Greens needed a late intervention to reach this stage. Trailing 2-1 on the night against Hungarian outfit Paksi in front of 23,000 fans at the Olympic Stadium, substitute Elmin Rastoder struck five minutes from time to secure a 2-2 draw and a 4-3 aggregate victory. Having already booked their place, CSKA 1948 showed a very different path: they eliminated Spartak Trnava after two goalless draws and a 5-3 penalty shootout in which they converted all five of their spot-kicks. The Bulgarian side’s limited European experience hasn’t prevented them from demonstrating defensive discipline that will be tested again in Athens.
Neither side has reported fresh injury concerns heading into the first leg, leaving both coaches with full squads to choose from. Panathinaikos can call on a core of seasoned internationals, including Slovenian midfielder Adam Gnezda Čerin, Moroccan winger Anas Zaroury, and Algerian defender Ahmed Touba, alongside Greek regulars like Yorgos Kyriakopoulos and Triantafilos Tsapras. Expect the hosts to dominate possession and use the flanks to stretch a CSKA 1948 side that will likely set up in a compact, low block. The Bulgarians kept a clean sheet across 210 minutes against Trnava and will aim to frustrate Panathinaikos again, looking for rare chances on the counter.
The duel between Panathinaikos’ creative engine and CSKA 1948’s back line could define the tie. Gnezda Čerin’s ability to dictate tempo and Zaroury’s direct running will challenge a defence that has not conceded in its last two European outings. If the visitors can maintain their shape and discipline, they might leave Athens with a result to take back to Bulgaria.
The second leg is scheduled for August 11 in Sofia, six nights after this opening encounter. Panathinaikos will be keen to build a lead on home soil, knowing that CSKA 1948’s penalty-shootout resilience shows they are comfortable in tight, low-scoring affairs. With a place in the play-off round at stake, the 90 minutes in the historic Leoforos could set the tone for the rest of the tie.
Panathinaikos
DEF · 90'
MID · 90' · 1 key pass
1
Panathinaikos 2W · 0D · CSKA 1948 0W
MID · 85' · 1 goal · 2 key passes · 3 shots (2 on target)
MID · 67' · 1 key pass
DEF · 90' · 1 key pass
CSKA 1948
DEF · 90' · 1 shot
FWD · 90' · 1 goal · 5 key passes · 3 shots (2 on target)
MID · 90' · 3 key passes · 1 shot
MID · 90'
MID · 90' · 2 key passes · 1 shot
55
6
19
22
4
8
10
74
28Panathinaikos
Coach: Jacob Neestrup
CSKA 1948
Coach: Yuriy Vasev
