OFI – Panayetolikos 1-2: Agrinho takes the lead with a buzzer! (video)

Thanks to an improbable counter-attack and a Nikos Karelis stoppage-time goal (94 minutes), Panaetolkos emerged victorious from Heraklion and, with a 2-1 win over OFI, have the upper hand in qualifying for the semi-finals ahead of the return leg in Agrinio. Agriniotes took the lead through Pedro, then the home team equalized with the Bakex!

We had a grand final today (23/1) in Heraklion, where Panaytolkos beat OFI 2-1 in the first doubles quarter-final thanks to a buzzer-beater from Karelis, thus securing the lead ahead of the rematch with Agrinho next week. (31/1).

The Cretans started with Soteriou in goal, Voros, Lambropoulos, Bressan and Thorarinson as a back four on the right, Giagos and Miados in the '6-8', Mosquera and Apostolakis on the wings, and Bakkes in a freer role behind Deco.

The Agriniotes had Stergiakis under the posts, Liavas, Malis and Stagkis at goal, Mavria at right-back, Hatzitheodoridis on the left, Tsingaras, Bouzoukis and F. Duarte at the pivot, and Dias and Pedro up front.

Pedro “touched” the scores 0-1 and 0-2

Crosses into the game and Panetolikos came in with a strong “Good morning.” He pressed high, hindered OFI's development and showed his willingness to run with and without the ball. The visitors had put more energy into the game and opened the scoring in the 19th minute thanks to a nice development from their side and a finish by Joao Pedro. Bouzoukis played in the empty space for F. Duarte, who came out on the counterattack and at the right moment “cut” the Portuguese striker, who scored 0-1.

This development “energized” the Cretans, who wanted to respond. They had possession, but were only 35 meters outside Stergiakis' area. The “Canaries” played intelligently and were not threatened except on two occasions that were not “clean” stages, the first in the 30th minute and a dropped ball from Voros in a fixed position, then in the 37th minute and a parallel shot from Deco that was blocked by Pakets. Mosquera did not take advantage.

Between (33 minutes) Panetolikos “touched” the score at 0-2, when it was Mafrias who played for F. Duarte in a phase more or less identical to the 0-1 (initiated by Dias), to Pedro who fired a “fireball” across the opponent’s large area. , but Sotiriou (“assisted” the crossbar) took a difficult corner kick.

OFI equalized with “Good Morning” in the second half

The “problems” faced by OFI were also diagnosed by his coach and it was no coincidence that he made a triple substitution during the break. Indeed, he “got it” seconds after the start of the second half, in the 47th minute, when Mosquera played a “small” pass to Thorarinson, who “turned” at the right moment to the height of the small area, where Bakic followed it. Like the trailer and scored a 1-1 goal.

Now the game started from “scratch” and at the same time gained… a frantic pace.

“Canary” is more threatening

OFI's equalizer, instead of giving a “boost” to the home team, turned out to have the opposite effect in the next few minutes. It was as if they had lost their positions, there were large distances between their lines and until the 60th minute, Panayetolikos was in better shape. In the 52nd minute, Soterio said “no” to Dias and the Paraguayan made a direct mistake, while in the 61st minute the Greek goalkeeper made a mistake as he sent a cross to Pedro, who shot a bad ball. Immediately after a good shot from F. Duarte, it passed inches wide of the left post and the 'Canaries' were in control.

Somewhere in there, OFI started to 'absorb' their opponents' pressure, mainly because they started to keep the ball (mostly with Toral) and thus avoided the mistakes that took Panayetolikos out of the 'confrontation'. This is how they began to visit Stergiacki's frames, found 2-3 dangerous shots (mainly with Pakets in the 64th minute) and returned to the offensive “equation” of the match.

With this data, we have entered the final stage of the race. Panetolikos continued to look more threatening, but was no longer creating phases, as he lacked a final pass (including OFI stoppers “removed” many similarities and 1 vs 1). The hosts, for their part, tried mainly from the left side to create chances but without much success and the score remained 1-1 unchanged. In the 87th minute, we had a phase that was considered not to have happened but is worth mentioning, when the ball was passed into the home team's goal to Bakex, who unleashed the “lightning”, but Stergiakis made a wonderful save and at the same time the referee called a foul on Bressan, who sent a header pass to the midfielder. Central Montenegro.

New assist from F. Duarte, excellent move from Karelis and 1-2 with the buzzer beater

Under these circumstances we reached the final stage of the match. Pérez “stinged” the ball for F. Duarte who ran on the counter, carried the ball outside the OFI structures and at the right moment passed it to Carriles. Hulk surprisingly avoided Bressan with a nice 'cut' and sent her penalty kick into the closed corner for the outgoing Soteriou in a 1-2 final.

best player: Wow Duarte. The Portuguese “touched” perfection. He “created” both the “blue and yellow” goals, Joao Pedro's great chance in the 33rd minute and in the 61st minute he hit a good shot that went inches away from the home team's goal.

Height: Panayetolikos attackers. Kareles for the beautiful goal he scored, but also Joao Pedro, who was very active, also scored and threatened with other personal goals.

Weak link: Deco. The OFI striker, who played in the first half, was “lost” among the visitors’ centre-backs and did not threaten.

“The error”: In phase 1-2, the hosts, despite seconds remaining in the final match, did not commit any error to stop their opponents' counterattack.

“stragali”: Match without many beeps and interruptions. The home team asked for more minutes of stoppage time.

The newspaper's “treasury”.: Panayetolikos in the “aggregate” match was better, as they missed more chances and thus achieved their first official victory away from home this season, in regular or extra time.

Ovi (Babymail): Sotirio, Voros (58' Voros), Lambropoulos, Bressan, Thorarinson, Miado (46' Glazer), Gaygos, Apostolakis (46' Toral), Bakex, Mosquera (72' Paco), Deco (46' Felipe).
Panetolikos (Yiannis Petrakis): Stergiakis, Liavas, Malis, Stites, Mafrias, Duarte, Tsingaras (69' Bakakis), Bouzoukis (42' Perez), Hatzithodoridis (69' Torrejon), Dias (69' Singelia), Joao Pedro (77' Kariles).