Panathinaikos: Awakening Carlitos and restoring defensive balance are necessary

With three consecutive defeats in the last two very difficult weeks in the league and a little “touch” of psychology in between after the double in the cup rematch with Anagennisi in Karditsa, Panathinaikos has a very important “devil’s week” ahead of them ” and three in a row Playing (Lamia inside, Apollon outside, Panetoliko outside) to restore his scoring position and ensure his presence in the playoffs, namely in the top four leading to the European “tickets” of next season.

In any case, in this seven-day period until the night of the following Saturday (02/19) in Agrinio with Panetolikos, the greens have no other leeway to throw points left and right if they don’t want to risk a complete derailment that would end their attempt to return to the European Cup after five sterile years, pawn in the course of the championship.

So what is required is the complete rebuild of the football department and the return to the ‘factory settings’ of the game identity submitted by Panathinaikos from the end of November when Ivan Jovanovic landed in the team’s game model. Data that the “Clover” has lost on the field in the last month, thanks to which it recorded only one win and one draw in the last 6 championship games.

Amid several key absences (Mauricio, Ludqvist, Makenda), Panathinaikos needs to correct many things in front of him, both in attack and in his defensive balance, to be able (only for the second time in this year’s league) to be able to make the ‘3 in 3″ in the following racing series and rebuilds his fortune near the end of the regular season.

From the 26 goals in the first 15 games in the league (1.73 average), the “Greens” fell to 5 (0.83) in the last 6 games, only taking goals from their wingers (3rd Palacios, 1st Aitor and an own goal). Megiado in Heraklion), who reduced the ratio of their goals per final performance – which was still relatively satisfactory up to the championship game against Volos.

Carlitos has gone 8 games without a goal

Makenda is back in the “box” due to the problem plaguing him in the ankle, and it is unknown when or if he will be able to help. Ioannidis shows no efficiency and substance in the matches in which he participated and Carlitos participated in a period of long burning.

From the moment the Spaniard started losing touch with the opposition’s nets – confirming that he can’t play that well alone at the front of the attack – Panathinaikos has no reference point in his offensive line. And that has cost him an unnerving degree, especially when in some games his field of action and extremes are limited, shorting out the whole system from the center and front.

Super is Carlitos’ competitive outburst, scoring since December 11 in league games and the 2-0 win over Atromitos (8 games without a goal, the only break being the great goal he scored on January 19 in the first quarter-final with Anagennisi). necessary for the greens in a number of games where they must win.

He has conceded an average of 1.5 goals in his last 6 games

At the same time, Panathinaikos is called upon to improve (and) their defensive performance and regain balance in the defense, which started to lose at Panthessalikos after the match against Volos. In his first 15 games in the Super League Interwetten, the clover conceded 11 goals (0.73 average).

Specifically, from the match with Lamia in Panthessaliko (11/22/21, 10th game) to his return to Magnesia for the match with the local team on January 9, 2022, he conceded only 2 goals in 6 games (0.33 months) -then – the second-best defensive performance in the league.

What followed? In their last 6 games in the league, Panathinaikos have caught the ball 9 times, with an average of 1.5 goals per game. The difference was huge and it could be seen in the results…

Obviously the wear and tear is now much greater for players who play non-stop like Veleth, Schoenefeld, Juankar and Reuben, the player who offers the most balance by connecting all the “Clover” lines. However, after the small ‘huff’ in the rematch against Anagennisi (in which only Ruben played for half an hour), all the center and back players will need to step up in the coming games if Panathinaikos is to regain the defensive streak that has been the past two months of the year 2022 showed. Because from now on, every goal of the opponent costs twice as much.