Panathinaikos Football Club's hopes for advancement in the UEFA Conference League suffered a significant setback on February 13, 2025, as they fell 2-1 to Vikingur Reykjavik during the first leg of their knockout stage playoff at the Bolt Arena, located in Helsinki, Finland. The defeat marks the third consecutive loss for the Greek club, who had previously enjoyed over twenty matches without defeat.
The match commenced with David Atlason scoring the opening goal for the Icelanders just thirteen minutes in, giving them an early lead. Further compounding Panathinaikos' troubles, Matthias Vilhjalmsson extended Vikingur's advantage with another goal shortly after the halftime break, netting it at the 56-minute mark. Although Panathinaikos managed to reduce the deficit with a penalty converted by Fotis Ioannidis at 90+1 minutes, it was too little too late.
This disappointing performance has left Panathinaikos trailing heading back to Greece, where they must prepare for the decisive second leg match scheduled for the following week.
Rui Vitória, the head coach of Panathinaikos, expressed his discontent with the team’s performance and the unfortunate injuries to six key players. "What disappointed me was the defeat. We did not want to lose. Of course, we lost two very important players. Defensively, we should have been more stable and solid. We were close to scoring several times, but it is more about effectiveness and not lack of opportunities. I was more disappointed with the injuries to two players who are important for us," he stated after the match.
The absences of key squad members certainly complicated Panathinaikos's tactical approach against Vikingur. Players such as Tasos Bakasetas and Palmer Brown exited early due to injury, which left the team struggling to find their footing throughout the contest. Despite having more attempts at goal with fifteen shots compared to Vikingur's nine, the Greeks were unable to convert their opportunities effectively.
The cold conditions at the Bolt Arena only added to the challenges faced by Panathinaikos. Nonetheless, Ioannidis, who executed the later penalty, remained optimistic about the upcoming match back at their home ground. "Despite the result, we will come back stronger for the return leg. We need to regroup and focus on what went wrong," he added, reflecting the team’s resolve to overcome this hurdle.
Vikingur Reykjavik now has the upper hand heading back to Greece, but they too have faced ups and downs recently. Having previously secured only one win out of six matches before this playoff, the Icelandic team will be intent on keeping hold of their lead.
Looking forward to the second leg, Panathinaikos will have to address not only their injury concerns but also capitalize on their strengths to overturn the deficit at their home ground, the OAKA stadium. With the stakes high and the pressure mounting, both teams will be hoping for spirited performances with much riding on the outcome.