Panathinaikos arrive for this playoff second leg with a slight edge after a 2-2 home draw, but their heavily rotated lineup raises serious questions about their ability to control the tie. With seven regular starters missing from the side that faced them a week ago, the Greek out…
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Sign inHradec Králové welcome Panathinaikos to their Malšovická Aréna home on 27 August 2026 for the second leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League playoff round, with the tie delicately poised at 2‑2 after the first leg in Athens.
Hradec Králové are dealing with significant availability problems. Tomáš Wiesner, Jakub Kučera and Tomáš Petrášek are all sidelined, robbing David Horejš of depth at the back. The hosts are expected to line up in a 3‑4‑3, with Adam Zadražil in goal, Filip Čihák, Jakub Uhrinčať and František Čech across the defence, and a midfield anchored by Vladimír Darida. Mick van Buren, who scored twice in the qualifying win over Tromsø, leads the attack alongside Tom Slončík and Ondřej Mihalík.
Panathinaikos travel with a cleaner bill of health. Veteran striker Cyriel Dessers recovered from a muscle problem and marked his return with a goal against CSKA Sofia, underlining his importance to Rui Vitória’s side. The Greek outfit are likely to deploy a 4‑2‑3‑1, with Dessers spearheading a front four that includes Tetê, Filip Djuričić and Facundo Pellistri. Willian Arão and Adam Cerin provide the midfield shield.
The opening leg finished 2‑2 in Athens, leaving both teams within touching distance of the league phase. Hradec’s European campaign began in the Europa League qualifiers, where they beat Tromsø 1‑0 away and 3‑1 at home but then fell 1‑0 in both legs against Beşiktaş, dropping into the Conference League. Domestically, Horejš’s men have made a solid start to the Czech First League, collecting seven points from three matches.
Panathinaikos’s four competitive outings this season have all produced goals at both ends, and the Greens remain unbeaten across their last five fixtures in all competitions. That run includes the 2‑2 first‑leg draw and a 2‑1 victory over CSKA Sofia in the previous qualifying round.
This tie carries weight beyond a place in the group stage. Panathinaikos hold a 9‑6‑3 record against Czech opponents, yet their very first European match — back in 1960 — ended in defeat against Hradec Králové. The Athens club’s only other Conference League meeting with a Czech side saw them lose 3‑1 on aggregate to Slavia Praha four years ago, though they rebounded by beating RC Lens at this stage the following season.
For Hradec Králové, victory would make them the eighth different Czech team to reach the main rounds of the competition — a landmark for a club that has never before featured in the group phase of any European tournament. From a coefficient perspective, the outcome could determine whether Greece or Czechia secures a full complement of league‑phase representatives.
With three senior defenders missing, Hradec face the daunting task of containing Dessers, a striker who needed minimal time to find the net on his comeback. His physical presence and intelligent movement in the box were on display against CSKA Sofia, and Panathinaikos will look to supply him through the creative talents of Djuričić and Pellistri. How Čihák and Uhrinčať handle Dessers is likely to define whether Hradec can protect the home goal.
Whichever side navigates this finely balanced tie will take their place in the newly expanded 36‑team Conference League league phase. Hradec Králové have never before reached the main draw of a European competition, while Panathinaikos are aiming to end a wait that stretches back to the 2010‑11 Champions League group stage. The second leg kicks off at 19:00 local time, with everything on the line.
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