The night Panathinaikos said at the top of its lungs “I am here” and meant it

Panathinaikos, with its painful losses and draws at the end of the regular season (which dropped it to 4th place and -4 from the top), went to the derby with Olympiacos in Faliro to start the playoffs, being with … to the wall, “finished” most of the claim to the title and gave an “answer” Deafening in the “eternal” derby.

First and foremost for himself and then for his opponents, as in the most important match (until the next) he said “I am here”. And now he means it, not in words, but in action, showing that he is ready and determined to make a full comeback in a title fight.

With metal, belief and mentality, which Fotis Ioannidis – the great protagonist of a historic night at Faliro – portrayed as clearly as possible, speaking to SPORT24 and Manos Naprosidis after the derby, in the most leadership position he has held in recent years as a player at Panathinaikos.

“This impression (SS: That Panathinaikos is out of the fight) has been around longer than you and the world around you. We knew our potential, what kind of team we are, what kind of players we are, what quality we have. This is what we did today. We will continue to do that, we did not do anything great in terms of the scoring part, but we won a very important game, three points and we will continue to do that in the next matches of the qualifiers.“.

And this is exactly what “Mr. 20 Goals and Count” showed for Panathinaikos this year. At a time when no one was counting the “greens” after the “jelly” in the past weeks, they closed their ears, lowered their heads to work on removing all the negative energy from Kurobe, and found solutions and a solution. He answered and went out into the field (and only on it) to answer.

Implementing an ideal tactical plan for Fatih Terim, who this time prepared with his team a plan to hit all the weak points of Olympiacos.

Although the match started poorly for Panathinaikos, Dragovski lost in only the third minute through the draw, even though the Mendelibre players took the lead in the face of the score, contrary to how the match had been going until that moment, thanks to his quality and terrible execution. Poncey.

This gives more value to what Panathinaikos did next and what he did on the pitch in the next 70 minutes and something, “transforming” the big derby not through… stealth warfare, but through football characterized by initiative and possession until the 70-75 minute. Through three amazing goals, an example of combined construction and football.

As if they didn't concede any goal 1-0

With everyone playing the clear roles they played in this particular match, knowing exactly what to do on the pitch and with Panathinaikos' big figures stepping up when the ball was on fire. This was the key to everything. In other words, the fact that Panathinaikos, even after Olympiacos' 1-0 win, did not allow the pitch and the momentum… to swallow them up, but rather continued to play as if everything was at 'zero'. Shot by Rodini (as the technical team noted very correctly, especially against Mindliber, the Brazilian full-back now plays at a higher level and behind him there was… an airport), Panathinaikos responded to direct football with big balls. Olympiacos, plays layered, simple and quick combinations to find his moments and executions in the opponent's area. And he found them! Extremely convincing and effective, on a stunning evening… the holy trinity of Bernard, Ioannidis and Pacasita.

Goals that… cut off the opponent's legs

The goal of the national team captain (in his wonderful “answer” to various paradoxes in the last few weeks about the cost and benefit of his transfer, Lord), but also Ioannidis' 1-2 goal just before half-time was an example of proper development and circulation. Goals Highlights Broadcast! Goals from those that cut off the opponent's legs. At the appropriate time, before the two teams go to the locker room to play the first half.

Yes, Olympiacos could have made it 2-1 at the 45+2 minute thanks to Navarro's chance and changed the course of the match again, unlike what was happening on the field at that time. But Panathinaikos were so convincing and determined on those three-pointers that they likely would have found a way to put the game back in their hands in the second half. It didn't take…

Terim management and the score 1-3… it was coming

In the second 45 minutes, Terim's management was excellent… he intelligently gave the ball to Olympiacos after 50 minutes, organized himself more convincingly on the pitch and waited for his next 'hit', which he was sure to give. Defense of Piraeus.

He did it again in the 70th minute in the same way. Nothing, a coincidence… the goal of action and proper execution. Quick change of ends from Mladenovic to Bakaseta and from there to Kutsera, a “full” cross into the back area. Two contacts in Bernard's control, helping Ioannidis and… The End. Because after 1-3, the derby had no comeback.

With 'Battleship Ioannidis' making his strongest mark on the Panathinaikos game since becoming an irreplaceable key part of the team – now feeling…unplayable as Antonis Ikonomidis correctly wrote last night – Bernard will play again. ..Signature, shows that he is a man of his word.

He wants to leave Greece as a champion and will fight until the last day to achieve this before returning to his homeland. Maybe he succeeds, maybe he doesn't, but he's out there fighting.

Panathinaikos took a big step, but didn't do anything. He is still being chased, having moved up one place in the standings, but has shouted to his rivals that he will “come back”. And he now has two very big matches in Leoforo against PAOK and AEK after the break to prove it even more convincingly, in the most exciting qualifiers in history…