Panathinaikos secured their position in the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) elimination play-off round with a commanding 4-0 victory against Dinamo Minsk at the Athens Olympic Stadium, extending their remarkable undefeated streak across all tournaments to nine matches (W8, D1).
The home side controlled the opening half, as Nemanja Maksimović should have converted inside 14 minutes after he sent Alexander Jeremejeff’s pass over the bar from a few yards away. He was then thwarted by Fyodor Lapoukhov from close range moments later after sliding in from a corner. Panathinaikos eventually found the goal they were chasing after the half-hour mark, as Jeremejeff slotted Giannis Kotsiras’ cross first-time at the near post. Minsk’s best opportunity to draw level before halftime came from a set-piece, as Daniil Kulikov forced Yuri Lodygin to parry the ball away with both hands.
The hosts carried their control into the second half, doubling their advantage within nine minutes of the restart as Tetê latched onto a through pass from Azzedine Ounahi before finishing calmly past Lapoukhov with his less-preferred right foot. However, Minsk reminded their opponents that they still had a chance when Vadim Pigas surged forward before hitting the post from a tight angle. That missed opportunity was punished midway through the half, as Tetê bagged his second following a slick passing sequence from Panathinaikos, after the Brazilian linked well with Ounahi again.
To Minsk’s credit, they continued pressing, and their other full-back Raí struck the crossbar after a quick turn. However, their bad luck persisted as Panathinaikos were awarded a spot-kick after a VAR review, with Tetê brought down in the area. There was little doubt about who would take it, but Tetê missed the chance to secure his hat-trick with a weak attempt that was easily stopped. That miss was quickly forgotten though, as substitute Fotis Ioannidis scored for the third game in a row with flair, lofting a half-volley over Lapoukhov from range.
It rounded off an ideal evening for the hosts, who claimed their third successive victory in the tournament to secure a playoff spot, while Minsk suffered their fifth consecutive away loss in Europe, thereby concluding their continental campaign for the season.
