2023-09-21 23:23:05
Villarreal had a bad debut in the group stage of the Europa League by falling on their visit to Panathinaikos), in a match in which the Spanish team repeated all the defects that it has shown at the beginning of the season and that caused the relief on his bench. [2.0: Narracin y estadsticas]
On this occasion, the effect of the arrival of their new coach, José Rojo ‘Pacheta’, was not noticeable, since the Castellón team barely generated danger in attack and appeared fragile in defense against a rival that breaks a streak of 16 consecutive games. without beating a Spanish team.
The team of batch They took the game calmly against a Panathinaikos team that seemed intimidated at the start by its rival’s potential. Villarreal, with Capoue in charge of the midfield, opted for long possessions, but with hardly any depth beyond some solitary adventure by Pedraza.
The best chance for the Spanish team came after a quarter of an hour in a great personal action by Morales, but the forward, after breaking his marker, was selfish and chose to shoot when he practically had two teammates to push the ball into the net. Panathinaikos responded with an assist from Bernard, the most decisive player in attack, which Palacios sent to the side of the net.
Fainting from Denis Surez, replaced by Yeremy Pinoconfused Villarreal, which Panathinaikos took advantage of to make an unexpected blow and take the lead on the scoreboard on the stroke of half-time.
Ioannidis marca ante Reina.Dimitris BirntachasAP
A lucky rebound allowed Kotsiras to filter the ball through the Villarreal defense so that Ionannidis, with a subtle touch, evaded Reina’s exit.
Pacheta’s team, too predictable in their game, tried to react, but only at the beginning of the second half did they seem to go for the game.
Villarreal patrolled the area with several arrivals from Kiko Femena, but Panathinaikos’ response was more forceful. Mandi and Queen They prevented the second goal from the Greek team, which with very little was able to disarm the Spanish defense.
Pacheta couldn’t stand it any longer and brought Sorloth, Parejo and Gerard Morenotheir luxury trident, in search of a total offensive, but Panathinaikos took advantage of their rival’s tactical disorder to crush the counterattack.
Sporar, in an action in which he portrayed the naivety of Villarreal’s defense, sentenced the game with a quarter of an hour left with a tight shot.
After the second goal, Villarreal finally fell to their knees and Panathinaikos was able to enjoy themselves in front of their audience, almost scoring the third goal with clear chances of scoring. Vilhena and Magnusson.
Betis fell asleep in Glasgow
Betis came out this Thursday defeated 1-0 in Glasgow against Rangers on the first day of the group stage of the Europa League, in a match in which they started dominating but in which they went into lethargy as the minutes passed. , which made the Scottish team take the wind until they scored the winning goal in the 67th minute through Senegal’s Abdallah Sima.
Only that goal made the Spanish team and its bench react, when the Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini moved the bench to give other ideas to the game, which worked, but without enough time for, at least, the tie to arrive.
A good opportunity presented itself at Ibrox Park for Betis to rebuild its figure after faltering last Saturday in the Barcelona field with the 5-0 conceded and to do so they faced a Rangers team, always powerful at home but far from the one they With Steven Gerrard he won the Scottish league two years ago and in 2022 he reached the final of the Europa League and lost it on penalties with Eintracht Frankfurt at Sevilla’s stadium, the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjun.
Pellegrini’s team, despite the league setback, has started the season on a good note and is the favorite to be first in the group in its third consecutive participation in the second continental competition, but to do so it had to prove it in the event, in principle, more complicated of this phase, in which Aris Limassol and Sparta Prague complete the group.
The Scottish team, coached by the Englishman Michael Beale, who lost by a landslide in the Champions League preview against Dutch PSV Eindhoven, presented the match as an opportunity to regain self-esteem after a start in the league that is leaving much to be desired. .
Bartra, in Glasgow.ROBERT PERRYEFE
One of the novelties of the match was the presence in the goal of the Chilean Claudio Bravo, unavailable until this Thursday due to an injury since the preseason and who had to force his return due to the injury in Barcelona of the Portuguese Rui Silva, until now a starter in these beginnings of campaign.
Claudio Bravo soon appeared in a Scottish counterattack after four minutes, in which the Welshman Rabbi Matondo stood in front of him with great speed but the Chilean saved the ball with solvency due to the striker’s poor definition.
That was an isolated incident in a match that was controlled by Betis, owner of the ball and almost always in the Glasgow team’s field, which gave the option for the Moroccan Ez Abde, who was making his first start, to put the team in the first trouble. English goal Jack Butland.
Abde, very active on the left wing, had another good pass on the half hour, but it seemed that this was a trigger for Rangers’ reaction, which began to win the duels in the divided balls and, with a vertical game, came closer, Now yes, a lot to Bravo, who had to intervene again successfully after Sima’s shot from inside the small area.
Sima himself once again created danger at the start of the second half, this time with a great cross on Matondo, who failed to define, as did his compatriot Thomas Lawrence, who saw how the ball thrown over from distance went wide. on a stringer.
They were the worst moments for Pellegrini’s team, which in the first ten minutes of the restart did not leave its field and in which the Croatian Borna Barisic was also able to open the scoring with a direct free kick that ended with the ball crashing into the crossbar. .
Lawrence’s injury at the hour mark, and his replacement by the Dutchman Sam Lammers, seemed to give the Sevillian formation a respite, but the local insistence was rewarded shortly after with Sima’s goal after a great save by Bravo, a series of rejections and even the review of the VAR for a possible handball.
The Chilean coach, who did not see it at all clearly before, now made Rodri, Willian José and Ayoze enter the field in one fell swoop, a lot of gunpowder with which to improve what Ez Abde, Borja Iglesias and Luiz Henrique had contributed, and this It was noticed instantly with Betis who went out towards him towards the rival area.
The Green and Whites, now yes, harassed the Scottish team and cornered them in their area, but time was against them to avoid a defeat that was not expected at this start of the European tournament.
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