cyberfish Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Well, it's not like we have a chance to advance to the Champions League 8 every year, especially after the favorable 1-1 in Spain. Now, even a 0-0 would suffice, and a 1-0 would be the sweetest victory. But being the biggest game in nearly a decade, it's probably going to be one of the toughest game of the decade. Not only because the opponent is good (PAO has won against better) but because the magnitute of the game demands absolute greatness from everyone. One weak link and it could be costly. Those of you who have been friends here for years know that I am always optimistic, expecting this next amazing and defining performance that we'll be talking about for generations. I do see an easier game than many think. I am confident we are going to win. I won't predict my usual 4-0 because Villarreal are quick. I'll predict a nice 3-1 B) In spain we did better in the second half when Goumas came out, and I see us play a 4-5-1 or a 4-4-2 depending where the ball is. I hope Mantzios can play. After that amazing disappearing act he pulled with the ball in Spain he will be a headache for Villa who will be more reluctant to advance their defenders. Here is what I'd like to see: --------------------Galinovic--------------- Nilsson---Vintra---Sariegi---Wawrzyniak -------Mattos---Simao---Gilberto------- -----------------Karagounis------------- --------Salpigidis---------Mantzios------- My bench: Tzorvas, Goumas, Spyropoulos, Petropoulos, Ivan, Roukavina, Christodoulopoulos, If Mantzios can't go I'd love to see Christodoulopoulos pull a good performance next to Salpi. The two of them look nimble, fast, and quick. I can't wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adonis Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 cyber can you confirm this stat: that mantzios has only ever scored in champions league against werder bremen and no one else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberfish Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 Ha ha, this is a fun stat. Yes Mantzios only scores against Werder in Europe and no one else (not sure what he did with Panionios btw) He scored his first goal in his first 2005-06 game for the CL against Werder in Athens He played in another three games in this season's CL and didn't score. In 2006-07 we played in the UEFA cup and Mantzios had 6 appearances and zero goals In 07-08 we played inthe UEFA cup again. Mantzios had a few moments at the end of three games and didn't score. And this season he played in 7 games (out of 11! and scored two goals against Werder in Athens and another one at Bremen. It looks like he is due to score against another team on Tuesday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikosVazelas Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 he scored 2 with panionio in the uefa cup in 2004 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberfish Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 was it against Werder ? :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOLLYWOOD Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 im gonna stick to my negative views and predict a 2-1 win for villa.. my line up is: --------------------Galinovic--------------- Nilsson---Vintra----Wawrzyniak---Spyro ----------Mattos---Simao---Gilberto---------- --Christop-------------------------Karagounis ------------------Salpigidis-------------------- i reckon we should go for speed in this game to hit them on the counter if we are to have any chance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXX-18T Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 anyone here going to the game? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drakos13 Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 ok its definitly not the biggest game of the decade. Biggest european game of the last few years sure. the stadium better be a giant arena of fire. I wish I could be there... We can do it, but I'm nervous. Hollywood youve predicted loss after loss after loss in Europe. Maybe your being too pessimistic? Who cares if Mantzios only scored vs Werder. Hes our best striker by far, and he looked very good in the last game. Its a big loss that hes injured. Also Goumas is out with suspension no? I dont want Xristodoulopoulos in the starting lineup. Domestic and Europe are two different things. He's not european material - small greek teams hes fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberfish Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 Drakos is right, Goumas is out with cards. I was thinking the biggest of the decade because last time we were at the CL QF was in 200-02. It feels like a decade to me :P No matter what happens I hope the fans appreciate the team and show them some love. In a year that just about everything has gone wrong, the coach and players managed another epic run with wins we'll be remembering for years. Being one game away from the CL 8 is awesome feeling. I wish I could be in the stadium. It's a sell out and having been there, I'll say that the atmosphere is great when everyone is on their feet. An early goal or even some good chances would be fantastic to get the crowd going. I've also been there when the other team has a couple of good chances and the crowd murmur can be depressing for our players. Mantzios is becoming a mature CF this year. Ten Cate managed to keep him in the box and it's paying off. All these years he spent half his games in a (cough) diogoesque existance because coaches wanted him to run around and create outside the box. Some of his goals have been amazing, and some of his moves and chances would make us all drool if they were in the youtube reel of any South American multi-million transfer prospect. I was also looking at the team rankings http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/d.../trank2009.html We are in 27th place and Villarreal is in 13th. At closer inspection, Inter is 10th and Werder is 11th and guess which smiley they were :bangin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athinaios Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I think those stats may take into account a longer term and maybe the domestic competition.... Anyway, I was more confident 2 weeks ago, especially after that Karagounaros goal, but now I'm afraid that it could be a very tough(er) game. Hope we contain their scoring, but if you cop 3 to a relegation team, I don't know what to expect any longer. 2-1 or 2-2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYPAO13 Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 we got totally outplayed in Spain, & were lucky with a draw.. We need to press on. We cant play defensively since we have no defence. Hoping for a 1-0 win.. Ive said it all along, we play the same way as we did in Spain, we lose 2-0!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberfish Posted March 9, 2009 Author Share Posted March 9, 2009 The UEFA press kit was posted today. Here are some interesting highlights: • Panathinaikos have a fine record in the European Champion Clubs' Cup when earning an away first-leg draw, winning eight and losing only one – against Ferencvárosi TC in the 1965/66 first round – of nine ties. Should there be any danger of complacency, however, the Athens club need only look back to the 1995/96 semi-finals when a 1-0 first-leg victory at AFC Ajax was followed by a 3-0 defeat in Athens – the only time in the UEFA Champions League era a side has won away in the first leg and not progressed. • The Athens club ended Group B in fine style, taking maximum points from their last three fixtures to clinch a place in the competition's knockout stage for the first time in seven years. In contrast, their first three games in their eighth UEFA Champions League campaign had yielded a single point. The Greek team's last involvement in a knockout tie in Europe's premier club competition resulted in defeat at the hands of a Spanish side with FC Barcelona's 3-1 victory at the Camp Nou in the 2001/02 quarter-finals taking them through after the game in Greece had ended in a 1-0 win for Panathinaikos. • Their only previous UEFA Champions League knockout round games had come in 1995/96 when they beat Legia Warszawa 3-0 at home in the quarter-final second leg after a goalless opener before the aforementioned last-four aggregate defeat by Ajax. • Panathinaikos have a good record at home to Spanish visitors in official games and have yet to be beaten in eight meetings, winning three and drawing five. In their three knockout ties, however, the Athens side have come off second best every time. • Villarreal, however, can perhaps take heart from past encounters in UEFA club competition where they have drawn at home in the first leg, with the Spanish side winning two of those ties and losing the other. ES Troyes Aube Champagne were overcome in the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup semi-finals and Trabzonspor defeated in the first round of the 2003/04 UEFA Cup first round, both after goalless first legs. Villarreal's campaign in the latter competition came to an end after a goalless semi-final first leg at El Madrigal was followed by a 1-0 defeat at Valencia CF. • The omens are less favourable for the Yellow Submarine when they have found themselves having to score in the second leg away from home, however. That has been the case on only three occasions, with Villarreal losing at home to NK Maribor (2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup third round), AZ Alkmaar (2004/05 UEFA Cup quarter-finals) and Málaga CF (2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup final) and failing to turn the tie round in the return fixture. • Pascal Cygan has unhappy memories of Panathinaikos having put through his own net while at Arsenal to give the visitors a 1-1 draw at Highbury in the 2004/05 group stage. Robert Pirès also played for the English club in that game and in the reverse fixture in Athens two weeks previously, which finished 2-2. • Panathinaikos are one match away from equalling their longest ever unbeaten run in the competition. The Greens have not lost in five games, stretching back to the 3-1 group-stage defeat at Anorthosis Famagusta FC on 1 October. They went six matches unbeaten in 1995/96 en route to the semi-finals. • Goumas will miss the match after his booking in Spain while Gilberto, Simão and Nikos Spiropoulos will incur suspensions with their next yellow cards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drakos13 Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Clayton has been left out of the match squad :blink: :blink: :blink: ! I guess HTC thinks theres no use for him??? How about being down a goal, injuries or needing to hold on to the ball? Hes probably going to put his faith in Xdoulopoulos, which is a likely mistake becuase villareal is NOT panserraikos, and Xdoulos is not a big game performer of what weve seen, to be honest I think he was not amazing last game either. Oh well...I will be pleased with focusing on keeping Villareal to ZERO goals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pao123 Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 ninis was left out as well :tdown: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberfish Posted March 9, 2009 Author Share Posted March 9, 2009 Not a big deal. Ninis and Cleyton are not in better form than Ivan and Christodoulopoulos as the last few games have shown. Who else is there to leave out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genome Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Mantzios means business for Panathinaikos Panathinaikos FC striker Vangelis Mantzios hopes to lead from the front on his return from injury as the Greek side seek to progress to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals by seeing off Villarreal CF at the OACA Spiros Louis Stadium. Full article at uefa.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GS1905 Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Mantzios... reminds me of Mihalis Konstantinou at his best a few years back... I hope the end of his career will not come so quickly though :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drakos13 Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Not a big deal. Ninis and Cleyton are not in better form than Ivan and Christodoulopoulos as the last few games have shown. Who else is there to leave out? Clayton is still very useful to have when were goal hunting or time wasting. Ivan and Xdoulos have barley played in Europe - I think this is a big mistake. Xdoulopoulos is only for small teams, he sucks in real matches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberfish Posted March 9, 2009 Author Share Posted March 9, 2009 I don't know about that Drako. Cleyton played in the cup game with Serres and we coped 3. Not directly his fault but right now I don't rate him very high on our roster. Ninis would be useful because of his vision, but in Sundays game he looked like he was not in a good shape. I think it would be unfair to Ivan who who did well in the last game he played, and to Christodoulopoulos who has worked hard to earn his spot. I see a huge difference between the beginning of the season and his current work rate on the pitch. He was running like a mad man against Larissa. All in all, I don't think not having Cleyton or Ninis would have a huge impact in this game. The key is really the performance of our steady players and not the second team. I really hope we thrash Villarreal tomorrow to advance. Mantzios' form is key in my opinion. If he can keep the defense occupied, out midfielders can find some space to advance. If Mantzios can't go, it will be a touch game. Besides that, everyone needs to concentrate like they did in our best CL performances so far. I watched the press conference by TC. I like the guy. He said that he read in the spanish press that Villa played the game of the year against PAO and they still didn't win. He said that means now Villa has to outdo themselves if they want to go through. :tup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kojak Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 The key in this game has to be possession, we managed to have some chances with the limited time on the ball last game. The more ball we have, the more chances, and that means goals. Counter attacks won't cut it this time round, no use just flooding the midfield to defend all day. If we take the game to them, we should win, if we don't..then they will run all over us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athinaios Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 With our inconsistencies, I'm giving Villareal the advantage. If they score first, we'll be in for a rough night. Ball possession is key. Frustrate them, make them open up... that's our best game. If we don't cop up an early goal, we can win this, but I just don't have the confidence I had when we first played them. Our team fluctuates eratically. Unfortunately for me, I have to work and won't be able to watch the game... So, guys, hold the fort.... Hope you have fun watching our team. :tup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irlandos Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 Remember that PAO will have the score they need (0-0) from the moment the opening whistle goes off. The onus is on Villarreal. All the best of luck today, guys! :tup: :gr: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYPAO13 Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 i wont know the final when its over i will watch the match at 6:30 on Sentana, hopefully with a positive result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueStriker Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 In the USA the replay will also be on at 11:30 am ET on ESPN Deportes on Wednesday, but I don't think I can wait till then. I have a feeling Karagounis will be clutch this game. Good luck boys :tup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GS1905 Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 strange line-ups from contra... PAO: Galinovic - Nilsson, Wavryznjak, Vyntra, Sarriegi - Simao, Gilberto, Karagounis, Gabriel - Salpigidis, Mantzios Villarreal: Lopez - Angel, Capdevila, Fuentes, Godin - Senna - Eguren, Pires, Santi Cazorla - Rossi, Llorente PAO - Villarreal 1/8 Champions League Line-Ups On the PAO side, I'm surprised to see two up front. Salpi can always come backwards anyway but two creative forces in the middle could be more suitable for this match (Kara+Ivan)... What I would like to see in this game could be; ------------------Gali------------------- --Nilsson--Goumas--Wavry--Vyntra- ------Gilberto--Simao--Gabriel------- ---------Kara-------Ivan--------------- -------------Mantzios------------------- On the Villarreal side, well, if that loser Rossi is playing, they won't win this match, that's for sure! Seriously if they are as interested in the CL as their coach suggests, where on f***n earth is Nihat and Mati Fernandez? Is he expecting Senna to score from 65 yards or something?! :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: Finally, if my disastrously poor Greek doesn't mislead me, it says on the site that PAO has had 3 wins and 6 draws against Spanish opposition at home. I hope the stats (naturally PAO) win in the end... :tup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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