Olympiacos won, PAOK had a draw and Panathinaikos lost in their first games of the group stage of the Europa League on Thursday night.
Champions Olympiacos, without playing exceptionally well, managed to beat Young Boys 1-0 in Bern, Switzerland. All it took was a strike by Argentinian midfielder Esteban Cambiasso in the 42nd minute of the first half. The “Reds” had a few chances to score more goals but their offence were not at their best. Yet, the Piraeus team defence did not allow the Swiss team to threaten their goalkeeper, Nicola Leali.
In Thessaloniki, PAOK hosted Italy’s Fiorentina in a scoreless draw. Although Fiorentina had better chances to score than the home team, the defenders of both teams did not allow for any goals.
In Athens, Panathinaikos stepped in the field as the favorite to win Dutch visitors Ajax. An early goal (5′) by Marcus Berg made fans believe that the “Greens” would start the European season victoriously. Yet, Ajax managed to equalize with a goal by Bertrand Traoré in the 33rd minute. In the second half, the Dutch side turned the match around with Jairo Riedewald (67’). Tension was high, with the referee sending off with red cards Ivan Ivanov and Mubarak Wakaso for Panathinaikos and Hakim Ziyech for Ajax.
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