SL2 23/24: Panathinaikos B 0-1 Athens Kallithea

After defeating Giouchtas over the weekend, Athens Kallithea had a short turnaround for their next encounter, facing Panathinaikos B on Tuesday afternoon at Georgios Kamaras Stadium in a makeup date from Matchday 3, and AKFC would produce a businesslike performance en route to a 1-0 win, with Michaël Pereira scoring the deciding goal on his full debut.

With the result, AKFC pulled into first place as the league’s only remaining undefeated team after the first four rounds of the season.

In addition to a host of young talents, the Panathinaikos reserve side featured two first team players, with former Greece international Zeca and Albania international Enis Çokaj starting in midfield, and the experienced duo would make the hosts difficult to break down, but AKFC would gradually establish control of the game and push forward.

In the 17th minute, AKFC should have had a penalty when Zeca tackled Andreas Vasilogiannis in the area, but the referee waved it off. Two more chances soon followed, as Demethryus cut into the box and had a shot blocked, and Pereira launched a shot from distance that was stopped.

AKFC were methodical in their approach and continued to probe for an opening, until they finally snatched a goal just moments before the half-time whistle.

In the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, Vasilogiannis dribbled a defender and drew a foul out on the left wing, with Javier Matilla stepping up for the set piece opportunity. From Matilla’s delivery, Giannis Loukinas beat ‘keeper Vasilios Xenopoulos to the ball in the air, heading back across the face of goal, and Pereira was there to neatly head into an empty net.

Coming out of the break, AKFC pressed for another goal, and were especially dangerous on the left wing through Vasilogiannis with Abdul Rahman Weiss making overlapping runs from the full-back position.

AKFC went closest in the 77th minute when Josua Mejías headed off the post from Matilla’s corner kick, but, for the second match in a row, AKFC could not find an insurance goal, and would turn to defending their lead.

Over the final 15 minutes, AKFC remained firmly in control, never allowing Panathinaikos to threaten and intelligently kill off time as needed, until the final whistle blew on their 1-0 win, a result which marked the team’s fifth clean sheet in six competitive matches between league and cup to start the year.

AKFC return to play on Saturday 28 October away to Egaleo in Matchday 5 of the 2023/24 Super League 2 season.

Athens Kallithea (4-2-3-1): Pantos, Manthatis, Marotta, Mejías (78’ Silva), Weiss, Matilla, Romao, Pereira (56’ Kynigopoulos), Demethryus (86’ Tsintonis), Vasilogiannis (78’ Moustakopoulos), Loukinas (86’ Ioannidis)