A sumptuous Giorgos Karagounis strike three minutes from time lifted Panathinaikos over PAOK on Matchday 1 of the Greek Super League Playoffs, Sunday evening at Toumba Stadium. As the match seemed destined for a goalless draw, the midfield maestro capped off his side's otherwise docile performance with a determined piece of running and a neat chip over PAOK keeper Kostas Chalkias.
Until then, the proceedings were decidedly yellow and red, referee Anastasios Kakos issuing nine cautions and one sending off, when Pablo Garcia kicked at and elbowed Simao on the stroke of halftime.
Prior to being reduced to ten men, the outfit from Thessaloniki looked far more committed than their Athens-based rivals. Fernando Santos' men bossed the midfield with relative ease, their opponents struggling to establish tempo or possession. Indeed, all Pana had to show in the early going was a Loukas Vyntra header inside ten minutes, which looped harmlessly over Chalkias' crossbar.
For all their midfield dominance, the Double-Headed Eagle of the North, deficient of the necessary guile in the final third, failed to make it count. A Vieirinha strike from the edge of the penalty area at the half hour mark was one of the few chances fashioned, but the Portuguese winger lacked the composure to keep his effort down.
Ironically, the best opportunity of the first half fell to the visitors two minutes before the break, Ante Rukavina racing free behind a static PAOK defense. The Croatian forward did well to round Chalkias, but skewed his effort into the side netting despite looking at an open goal.
From there, tempers would flare, Pablo Garcia ultimately seeing red following his off-the-ball incident with Simao. The Uruguayan midfielder, infamous for punching Olympiakos' Diogo earlier in the season, would not leave without protest, though replays justified the referee's decision.
Hoping to build on the numerical advantage, Pana boss Henk ten Cate introduced the attack-minded Sotiris Ninis and Cleyton at the start of the second half. But aside from a Ninis strike on 52 minutes that proved comfortable for Chalkias, the Greens seemed devoid of any sort of ambition.
Instead, the hosts continued to pour forward, Olivier Sorlin just missing the target with a curling effort on 55 minutes. Spurred on by fervent home support, the Northerners proceeded to pin their opponents deep in their own third, winning a series of corners, the most inviting of which fell to Zlatan Muslimovic 11 minutes from time. The striker glanced his close-range header toward goal, but Pana keeper Mario Galinovic was perfectly placed to produce a fine reaction save.
That set up Karagounis' winner, which the midfielder did exceptionally well to take. After jinking past several markers, the Greek international spotted Chalkias off his line and elegantly lobbed the goalkeeper from just outside the area.
It was a goal that came very much against the run of play, but it will make little difference to Henk ten Cate's men, who now move ahead of their opponents and into first place in the playoff standings.
