Panathinaikos drew 1-1 against CSKA 1948 at OAKA stadium on August 5, 2026, in the first leg of their Conference League play-off qualifier.
The result leaves qualification for the Conference League play-offs to be decided in the second leg in Bulgaria.
Pre-match tributes and stadium incidents
Before kick-off at OAKA, a minute of silence was held to honor the pilots and firefighters who lost their lives in recent fires.
Panathinaikos players held up the shirt of Pantelidis prior to the match. Pantelidis attended the game in person while wearing a cast on his leg.
In another pre-match incident at the stadium, the pitch sprinklers at OAKA unexpectedly activated and soaked Ninis.
New signing Levi Garcia at OAKA
Panathinaikos announced the signing of Levi Garcia on August 5, 2026, and officially registered him on their European squad list.
The club presented Garcia in a video featuring a Spider-Man theme, confirming that he will wear shirt number 99.
Garcia attended the match at OAKA and held a one-on-one meeting with Alafouzos at the stadium.
Post-match reaction and second leg
Following the draw, Nistrup said Panathinaikos must show greater creativity in their performance.
Nistrup added that the team is traveling to Bulgaria with the sole target of securing a victory.
