With two good penalty kicks from Zaroury and Tetey, Panathinaikos came through Tripoli, beating Asteras 2-1 on the 25th and final day of the Super League’s regular season.

Asteras Tripoli were the team that needed the points the most, as they are fighting for their salvation, but Panathinaikos came through with relative ease from the “Th. Kolokotronis” and sank the Arcadians, who will need to make a breakthrough in the playoffs to stay in the Super League.

The Greens locked up the win from the first half, when they led 2-0 with equal penalty kicks from Zaruri and Tetey. The Greek international forward won the first penalty and took the second, which was won by Kyriakopoulos.

Panathinaikos found a third goal through Tetey, with a double header after Pandovic also headed in an assist, but the goal was disallowed for offside via VAR and the score was not changed. That gave Asteras Tripoli a chance to get back into the game, as an own goal from Ingason with … his back to it, reduced the score to 2-1.

However, they couldn’t do much more, suffering another defeat.

The match

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The home side had the first good moment of the match when Emmanouilides got past Touba on 14 minutes and fired a powerful shot, but Lafon fisted it away. The Greens missed a great chance on 17′ with Jarouri’s free-kick and Tettei’s interference which was impressively saved by Hatziemmanouil first with his feet and then with his hands in front of the “cloverleaf” forward.

Panathinaikos’ pressure was rewarded on 29′ when a long pass from Toumba to Tettei saw the international enter the area and was turned over by Laskaris. Papapetrou “pointed out” the infringement and Zaruri did not miss from the whitewash, making it 1-0 for the Greens.

On 34′, Zaruri’s cross was saved by Silas, while on 37′, Lafon saved Oko’s header from the small area.

On the last play of the first half, after Kotsiira’s cross in the back zone, Kyriakopoulos had time to turn the ball, which hit Deligiannidis’ hand. After VAR Koubarakis’ suggestion, Papapetrou checked the play on video and awarded a second penalty, with Andreas Tettei making it 2-0 at 45’+4′.

At 55′, Tettei’s double effort sent the ball into the net, but his goal was disallowed on the VAR’s suggestion as it was deemed to be offside. On 65′, Ender Gonzalez’s foul went just wide of Lafon’s right-hand post, while on 82′ the home side reduced the deficit with an incredible own goal from Ingi Ingason.

After a long-range cross from Ender Gonzalez, Lafon moved to block the ball, which hit the back of the Icelandic stopper who was not… seeing the play and ended up in the back of the Clary goal for a 1-2.

Nothing changed in the final minutes, with Panathinaikos controlling the game and not putting much pressure on themselves, cruising to their sixth away win of the season.