Europa League – Djoukowski's header helps ten-man Roma secure a 1-1 draw against Panathinaikos and advance to the Round of 16.
2026-01-30 08:12
In the eighth round of the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League, ten-man Roma drew 1-1 away to Panathinaikos. After this match, Roma finished 8th and barely qualified for the round of 16, while Panathinaikos finished 20th and were relegated to the playoffs.
Roma launched a quick counter-attack less than a minute into the game, but Constantinos Tsimikas' powerful shot from outside the penalty area was saved by Alban Lafon. In the 11th minute, Lorenzo Pellegrini's free-kick cross from the left side of the field was met by Jan Djoukowski, whose close-range shot went wide to the right.
In the 15th minute, the tide of the game turned dramatically: Gianluca Mancini, as the last defender, committed a foul by pulling an opponent and was sent off with a straight red card after VAR intervention. With his departure, Roma, who had initially held a slight advantage, were now at a numerical disadvantage for the remaining 75 minutes.
Facing a Roma side playing with ten men, Panathinaikos opted for a full-scale attack but with little success. Their only real chance to score in the first half came in the 37th minute when George Catteris' long-range shot hit the crossbar.
After the break, Roma even launched several attacks. In the 48th minute, Pellegrini took a free kick from the right wing into the penalty area, and Brian Cristante's header was saved by Lafont. In the 56th minute, Tsimikas crossed from the left wing, and Zeki Celiik's long-range shot from outside the penalty area went just wide.
However, it was Panathinaikos who broke the deadlock first: in the 58th minute, Daniele Girardi's misplaced back pass gifted Vicente Tavorda a goal with a calm tap-in. Despite this, Roma did not give up. In the 80th minute, Nicolo Piscili's cross caused Catteris to misjudge the ball, allowing Djoukowski to head home and level the score at 1-1.
Neither side managed to score again. The match ended in a 1-1 draw between Roma and Panathinaikos.
Image source: Internet/Rome official website
