Barcelona blunted in Athens
Tuesday, 18 October 2005
by Paul Saffer
from Athens Olympic stadium
Panathinaikos FC blunted the three-man attack of FC Barcelona with,
in the end, some comfort to secure a UEFA Champions League Group C
draw which will not harm either side's chances of reaching the next
stage.
Visitors frustrated
Only occasionally were the two goalkeepers called into action, as
Ronaldinho in particular had a night of increasing and rare
frustration. However, when Panathinaikos come to the Camp Nou for
Barcelona's 100th UEFA Champions League game in a fortnight, they
will be hard-pressed to hold out in this style again.
Surprise selection
The big surprise in the Panathinaikos lineup was the selection of
Igor Biæan in defence in place of usual captain Ioannis Goumas,
while Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard opted for the experience of
Henrik Larsson over the prodigious brilliance of Lionel Messi. It
was goalkeeper Víctor Valdés who was first into action, though,
pouncing on the ball when Mikael Nilsson and Evagelos Mantzios
broke down the left and fed Sándor Torghelle.
Barça rhythm
However, Barcelona soon found their rhythm, Samuel Eto'o the
spearhead supported by Larsson and Ronaldinho, who supplied an
early crossfield ball to the Swede that bamboozled the home
defence, though Eto'o's subsequent shot did not trouble home
goalkeeper Mario Galinoviæ. A clever Deco free-kick past the blind
side of the wall then found Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who sent the
ball past the far post.
Mantzios denied
Panathinaikos were clearly more wary of Barcelona than their
bullish pre-match demeanour had suggested, Ronaldinho and Deco
seeming to force slips from their opponents through sheer presence.
But there may have been strained Catalan nerves at the other end
when the lively Torghelle's through-ball sent Mantzios one-on-one
with Valdés 20 minutes in, only for the shot to go straight at the
grateful custodian.
Home side settle
Still, that incident reminded Barcelona of their own vulnerability,
and Panathinaikos were finally allowed to settle, their midfield
often hitting threatening balls over the top of the visiting
defence, though full-backs Loukas Vintra and Filippos Darlas
offered alternative attacking options through overlaps. In contrast
to their early dominance, it was Barcelona who were perhaps happier
to end the half at 0-0, having switched Eto'o and Ronaldinho within
their front three in an attempt to rediscover lost verve.
Eto'o efforts
The break seemed to refresh Barcelona, who showed the same guile as
in the first 20 minutes. Xavi Hernández's precise pass into the
path of Ronaldinho set up Eto'o, denied by Galinoviæ, and the
striker was then stopped by Naisef Morris's nerveless sliding
tackle. Thiago Motta now replaced Mark van Bommel, but the
Italian's first act was to concede a free-kick nearly 30 metres
out, Vintra's strong shot forcing Valdés to dive and save.
Tactical change
Panathinaikos coach Alberto Malesani decided on a change himself
just before the hour, Torghelle withdrawn and Sotirios Leontiou
coming into midfield, Mantzios now a lone forward supported by
Ezequiel González. The central midfield was becoming a crowded
place, and Rijkaard chose, with a stalemate beginning to emerge, to
unleash Messi for Larsson, though Van Bronckhorst's snap shot did
force Galinoviæ into action just before the substitution.
Biæan intervention
Andrés Iniesta too was tried, and Dimitrios Papadopoulos made his
bow in this season's group stage for the final 15 minutes. Not long
after, Eto'o broke through the Panathinaikos defence and rounded
Galinoviæ, but to his amazement his strike from a tight angle was
deflected off target by Biæan's leg. Then the Cameroonian was sent
through but the goalkeeper dived at his feet. It summed up
Barcelona's night.
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