Champions League
December 9, 2008
P'thinaikos
1 - 0
Anorthosis F
Group B
19:45 +00:00, December 9, 2008
Athens Olympic Stadium
Referee: Bertrand Layec
Greeks top group
Scoring Summary
| Panathinaikos | Anorthosis Famagusta |
|---|---|
| Giorgos Karagounis (69') |
Teams
Giorgos Karagounis' solitary second half goal proved enough for Panathinaikos to clinch a place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a narrow victory over Anorthosis Famagusta.
Midfield talisman Karagounis netted after 69 minutes at the OACA Spiros Louis Stadium to seal a remarkable turnaround for Pana, who go through as Group B winners following Inter Milan's 2-1 defeat to Werder Bremen.
Bremen's win means the German side have claimed a UEFA Cup spot ahead of Anorthosis, who after an impressive start have finished bottom of the section.
Needing simply to avoid defeat, Henk Ten Cate`s team resisted the dangerous ploy of sitting back by surging forward.
And they could have been ahead after just two minutes when Alexandros Tziolis headed Loukas Vintra's cross over the bar.
Four minutes later Karagounis was denied a goal by a superb one-handed flying save by Arian Beqaj from a trademark free-kick.
The visitors showed their threat on the break, however, and Hawar Taher missed a golden chance to score, diverting Vincent Laban's low cross over the cross bar from close range after 16 minutes.
The match began to open up mid-way through the half but a goal was desperately needed to settle the Greens and their audibly nervous home support. The determined Cypriots continued to repel the attacking threat, though, with Vangelis Mantzios denied twice - once by Andreas Constantinou's block and another Beqaj save - either side of a Karagounis snapshot which hit the side-netting.
Anorthosis introduced striker Nikolaos Frousos at half-time in place of defender Traianos Dellas, signalling their intent to go for broke but the pattern of the game remained unchanged, with the hosts pressing for a breakthrough. Cleyton was next to be denied by Beqaj, who blocked the Brazilian's shot with his legs six minutes into the second half. Karagounis then blazed over from the edge of the penalty area with a clear sight of goal minutes before Mantzios was denied by yet another fine save by Beqaj.
Cleyton made way for Dimitris Salpingidis just after the hour mark and it was the diminutive striker's contribution which lead to Pana finally breaking the deadlock after 69 minutes.
Salpingidis broke down the right and sent over a cross which Cedric Bardon could only direct into the path of Karagounis, whose shot squirmed under the body of Beqaj to prompt roars of relief as much as delight among the home crowd.
After that Pana were rarely threatened and eased through the final stages of the game to claim a result which secured the Greens a last-16 berth for the first time since the 2001/02 campaign.