Galery

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The match between the football teams of Rubin Kazan and Panathinaikos ended 0-0. The defensive play the greens showed last night in Kazan cost them quite a lot. The draw put an end to their further dreams of Champions League and started the fight for a ticket to the European League. For this purpose, however, they will have to give everything in the matches against Barcelona and Copenhagen to achieve a good result. Something that sounds almost like a miracle having in mind that Messi will probably make the defence of the greens squint. And the fact that the match will be played on OAKA will hardly have any positive influence on the outcome. Because it is almost irrelevant whether the match is played on home or away ground when the opponent is Barcelona. Moreover, following the last loss of 1-5. But let us leave forecasts aside.
 
Panathinaikos certainly had chances to beat his opponent last night. The team didn’t take the risk neither on the field in Athens, nor in Kazan. It played defensively keeping the opponent from scoring but ... it itself stood away from victory. Only the minutes before the end of the match and the initial 15 minutes of the first half were exception from the passive game.

Spiropoulos had a good chance to score at the beginning of the match but his shot was not precise and the goalkeeper Ryzhikov blocked the ball. Karagounis also tried to score with a long shot but he didn’t make it. Panathinaikos’ attacks awoke the home team and it made its first goal attempt in the 15^th minute. Kornilenko put the net of the greens at risk. But Tzorvas saved the ball and there wasn’t a goal scored.

The home team had the upper hand of the match. They controlled the ball to a greater extent but the defence of the greens had its say. The visiting team guarded the net of Tzorvas and Rubin's attempts to score were limited to long shots that ended away from the net and… in fact were not dangerous.

The defence of the greens was at good level but not their attacks. The team’s hope, Cisse, was all alone in the front position and failed to take even one ball. The more Garcia passed the ball to him, the more the defence of Rubin stopped the attacks.

The home team threatened Panathinaikos in the 40^th and 41^st minute. Ryazantsev tried to score with head but Tzorvas saved the ball. Kornilenko proceeded to attack but his attempt ended with an out. A few minutes later Simao cooled the heat in front of the green net. He transferred the battlefield in front of the home team’s net and tried to score. But the ball came out.

The second half brought no change on the field. The pace and style of the game remained the same. Panathinaikos focused again on defence and it was already clear that nothing good would happen. That is why Nikos Nioplias made a change during the 70^th minute. In order to make the team more offensive he replaced Garcia with Govou. It was expected they both with Cisse to contribute to the happy goal. Govou made his attempt to score in the 83^rd minute but the ball came out. Panathinaikos had two good goal positions some time ago too. Simao attacked the net of Rubin in the 77^th minute and Gilberto did the same a minute later. But there was not a goal scored again.

In return, the Russian strikers managed to break the defence of the greens and Ryazantsev and Navas seriously threatened Tzorvas in the 79^th minute. However, the goalkeeper saved the ball again.