Panathinaikos couldn’t manage in Helsinki, delivering a poor performance and losing 2-1 to Vikingur in the Conference League Playoffs.

This was the third consecutive defeat for the “greens” following losses to Olympiacos in the Cup and Aris in the league. Giannis Kotsiras stated that this 0/3 record is unacceptable.

Kotsiras’ statements to Cosmote TV:

About the match:
“Of course, it was a strange game under circumstances we weren’t used to, but that’s not an excuse. We should have adapted better and faster to these conditions. I wish a speedy recovery to the players who were injured and hope they come back stronger. The positive thing was that we reduced the score at the end, making the return leg a bit easier for us.”

About the team’s defensive performance and any issues:
“In recent games, the balance of the team has been disturbed, and we need to fix it. Our lines need to be closer, and we need to be prepared for the opponent’s style of play, which will likely look for counter-attacks. We need to prevent opportunities for the opponent, which we allowed today.

We all need to work together and build a winning streak because the third consecutive loss for a club of Panathinaikos’ size is unacceptable. I hope that on Sunday, we will play better, win, and build a streak.”

About the importance of Ioannidis’ goal at the end:
“It’s important. It’s different to need two goals than just one. We will keep this goal in mind and will try in Athens to qualify and move to the next round.”