Yellows triumph in Greek cauldron
(1-2)
Villarreal go into the hat for the quarter-finals of the Champions’ League thanks to this memorable victory against Panathinaikos. Ibagaza put the visitors ahead in the 49th minute and while Mantzios's header put the home side level after 55 minutes, Joseba’s 70th minute strike earned a historic win. With the sides level at 1-1 after the first leg the Submarine was forced to chase the game from the first whistle knowing it would have to score to stay in the competition. Nihat (20`) and Rossi (27`) both had chances but fell short in front of goal although the visitors looked to have taken the lead in the 35th minute when Nihat’s cross fell eventually to Ibagaza who finished skilfully. Unfortunately for the Argentinian midfielder, the referee Massimo Busacca ruled the goal out for a non-existent foul from Giuseppe Rossi. But with just four minutes of the second half played the visitors took the lead. Rossi’s pass found Capdevila on the left flank and his pinpoint pass found Ibagaza whose sensational left foot strike from the edge of the area flew in past the despairing lunge of home keeper, Galinovic. Villarreal’s joy was to be short-lived. Just six minutes later after a period of Panathinaikos pressure, Mantzios rose above everyone else to head the home side level following a corner. With the scores level and heading for extra time, a typical Villarreal counter attack earned a deserved winner 20 minutes from time. Man of the match, Ibagaza received the ball after a Panathinaikos attack had been broken up just outside the visitors’ penalty area. His superb left foot pass found Llorente who controlled the ball with one touch before crashing it past Galinovic. The goal meant that the home side now required two more goals but the visitors were rarely troubled and Rossi could in fact have made the victory margin wider when his last minute effort was blocked on the line with the goalkeeper nowhere. At the finish a display that will go down in the history of a Villarreal that now finds itself once again in the last eight of the most prestigious football competition in Europe
