Panathinaikos - CSKA 1948 Sofia

World - Club Friendy Games, Round 1.  05/07/23

Panathinaikos achieved a perfect record of 3 wins in 3 friendlies during their time in Austria, including a 2-0 victory against Petrolul on July 4th. Verbics (23') and Vagiannidis (77') found the back of the net in that match, while Geremegev (15'), Djurisic (15'), and Bilal (72') also scored goals in the other matches. Djurisic, in his debut appearance for Panathinaikos, impressed in the first half with his excellent contributions and involvement in goals and chances. In the second half, coach Jovanovic made changes to provide playing time for other players. Key players such as Aitor, Ioannidis, Senkefeld, Perez, Mancini, Bernard, and Sporar did not feature in the match against Petrolul but are expected to play a role in the upcoming friendly against CSKA 1948. However, Cerin withdrew due to a knock, and it is unlikely that the Serbian coach will risk his participation. Ganea remains sidelined. No significant transfer developments have occurred at this time.

Panathinaikos now faces their strongest opponent in the preparations so far. Coming off a friendly the day before, coach Jovanovic is likely to predominantly use players who did not participate against Petrolul. The Greek team has shown strength in midfield but has struggled to capitalize on scoring opportunities.