Greek-Ghanaian attacker Andrews Tetteh delivered a standout performance under the lights in Athens, scoring twice as Panathinaikos battled to a pulsating 2-2 stalemate with Viktoria Plzen in the first leg of their Europa League playoff showdown on Thursday night.
With a place in the Round of 16 at stake, the Greek heavyweights aimed to seize control of the tie at the Olympic Stadium of Athens. Instead, they were forced to dig deep after the visitors struck early.
Plzen silenced the home crowd in the 11th minute through Denis Visinsky. Latching onto a perfectly timed through ball, he steadied himself before drilling a clinical strike from the edge of the area into the left corner, beyond the reach of the helpless goalkeeper.
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Panathinaikos regrouped and gradually imposed themselves on the contest. Their persistence paid off in the 31st minute when Georgios Kyriakopoulos whipped in a teasing delivery from the flank. Tetteh timed his leap superbly, steering a firm header into the bottom-right corner past Florian Wiegele to restore parity.
The equaliser ignited the hosts, and Tetteh was far from finished. Just after the hour mark, the forward showcased his flair and composure in equal measure. Collecting possession outside the box, he danced past a cluster of defenders before unleashing a thunderous drive that arrowed into the bottom-left corner, turning the game on its head and sending the stands into raptures.
Yet the drama was not done.
With ten minutes remaining, Tomas Ladra ensured the Czech side would return home with the tie delicately balanced. Controlling a sharp pass on the edge of the box, he curled an exquisite effort into the top-right corner to make it 2-2.
The result leaves everything to play for ahead of the return leg in the Czech Republic. For Panathinaikos, much will hinge on Tetteh’s sharpness and confidence as they seek to finish the job on hostile turf.
After his two-goal display in the first meeting, the Greek forward of Ghanaian heritage has firmly positioned himself as the man to watch when the decisive chapter of this European duel unfolds.
