Comments and predictions for Panathinaikos vs Samsunspor: Fragile advantage
The match between Panathinaikos vs Samsunspor in the Europa League takes place at 1:00 a.m. on August 22. Nghe An Newspaper analyzes performance, makes football comments and predicts the score.
Latest Panathinaikos vs Samsunspor team information
Coach Vitoria kept the same starting lineup in both matches against Shakhtar Donetsk, and he will likely continue to maintain stability in the upcoming confrontation.
The defence of Giannis Kotsiras, Erik Palmer-Brown, Ahmed Touba and Georgios Kyriakopoulos will continue to provide cover in front of goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski. Nemanja Maksimovic, Pedro Chirivella and Tete are expected to man the midfield, while Karol Swiderski is expected to lead the attack.
Similar to the home team, Samsunspor also kept the same lineup in the last two matches, and coach Reis can continue to put his trust in this frame. However, they will not have the service of Afonso Sousa due to a muscle injury, while Anthony Musaba is still uncertain to play.
Latest expected lineup Panathinaikos vs Samsunspor
Panathinaikos:
Dragowski, Kotsiras, Palmer-Brown, Touba, Kyriakopoulos, Chirivella, Tete, Maksimovic; Djurisic, Swiderski, Pellistri
Samsunspor:
Kocuk; Yavru, Satka, Van Drongelen, Tomasson; Yuksel, Ntcham; Dimata, Holse, Kilinic; Marius
Latest football commentary Panathinaikos vs Samsunspor
After being relegated to Europe's second tier after being knocked out of the Champions League by Rangers, facing an experienced Shakhtar Donetsk in international competition was clearly not the scenario Panathinaikos wanted.
However, with resilience and perseverance, the blue team overcame their opponents on penalties after two goalless draws in the third qualifying round of the Europa League, thereby moving one step further than last season.
If in the 2024-25 season they had to accept being relegated to the Conference League, now Panathinaikos is only one round away from the Europa League group stage, with the final obstacle being Samsunspor.
Under coach Rui Vitoria, Panathinaikos will want to use home advantage to control the game, but their recent form at the Athens Olympic Stadium has been unconvincing, as they have gone three consecutive competitive games without a win, including two draws in Europe and a league defeat in the final round of last season.
The new Greek Super League season had not yet started before Thursday's match, giving Panathinaikos a much-needed break, especially since the opening game against OFI (originally scheduled for three days after the first leg of the Europa League qualifiers) had been postponed.
Meanwhile, Samsunspor will have to balance European and Turkish league duties next week, and it is unclear how they will adapt to this new experience.
The team nicknamed "Red Lightning" returned to the European arena after more than 27 years of absence, the last time being the 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup. Their third-place finish in the Super Lig last season earned them this opportunity, and Thomas Reis's team started the new season with enthusiasm with two consecutive victories, most recently a 1-0 win over Kocaelispor last weekend.
Going into the match in Greece, Samsunspor will be buoyed by a perfect start, having extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to eight games from last season. They will be hoping that gives them a mental edge over Panathinaikos.
Latest Panathinaikos vs Samsunspor score prediction
Based on the above football comments, we and the world's leading football sites have given the results of the match.Panathinaikos vs Samsunsporas follows:
- Sportsmole:Panathinaikos 2-0 Samsunspor
- WhoScore:Panathinaikos 1-0 Samsunspor
- Our newspaper predicts:Panathinaikos 1-0 Samsunspor
When and where to watch Panathinaikos vs Samsunspor live?
To watch the live match Panathinaikos vs Samsunspor in the Europa League play-off round taking place at 1:00 a.m. on August 22, viewers can watch it on online sports channels. Wishing you happy football watching moments.
