Panathinaikos 1-3 Standard Liege

Posted Friday, March 12, 2010 by Goal.com

Counterattacking Belgian outfit put one foot in the quarter finals...

Standard Liege have taken a massive step towards the quarter-finals of the Europa League following an efficient 3-1 win away to Panathinaikos.

A lone Loukas Vyntra goal shortly after the break was the best the Greeks could muster as three counterattacking goals from Axel Witsel, Milan Jovanovic and Igor De Camargo stunned the Spiros Louis Stadium in Athens.

The hosts started brightly and had the Belgian's on the back foot in the early stages. Standard resisted the early onslaught and Dieudonne Mbokani's deep cross from the left wing was met by Witsel who climbed highest at the back post to head back across Milan Galinovic's goal for an early lead.

Pana responded and continued to play the better football with Sebastian Leto and Djibril Cisse working Sinan Bolat in the Standard goal but they couldn't find a way past the 21-year-old Turkish shot stopper and were soon hit with another sucker punch as the visitors profited from another clinical counterattack.

Just eight minutes after taking the lead against the run of play, Standard found themselves two goals to the good thanks to a terrible mistake from Galinovic who raced off his line in a bid to intercept Steven Defour's through ball but he failed to reached it, allowing Jovanovic to roll the ball into an empty net from just outside the 18 yard box.

The hosts were stunned but continued to press and Bolat had to be alert to thwart the Greeks as they tried to force their way back into the contest with efforts from Leto, Ante Rukavina and Loukas Vyntra. The counterattacking threat from the visitors loomed as De Camargo and Benjamin Nicaise both went close but 2-0 it remained at the break.

Nikos Nioplias introduced Dimitris Salpigidis and veteran midfielder Giorgos Karagounis at the interval and it was the 33-year-old Karagounis who provided the Shamrock with a lifeline as his free-kick from the right wing was headed home at the back post by Vyntra.

Indeed Karagounis was a telling influence in midfield orchestrating the Panathinaikos fightback and as they dominated in possession it seemed only a matter of time before the Greek outfit restored parity.

Referee Craig Thompson issued six cards in the space of eight scrappy minutes midway through the second period as the game lost its shape.Then with just fifteen minutes remaining came Standard's third counterattacking goal to virtually put the tie beyond Nioplias' men.

As Panathinaikos pressed for an equaliser the Belgian's broke and Liverpool-bound Jovanovic threaded an excellent ball into the path of De Camargo who fired past Galinovic to dash Greek hopes and Simao was sent off in second half stoppage time to compound a miserable evening for the Greeks.

Panathinaikos must now win by three clear goals in Belgium or repeat tonight's scoreline to push the tie into extra-time but with the Greeks needing goals it's hard to bet against them being punished by Standard's superb counterattacking style again.