Panathinaikos secured a 2-1 victory over ЦСКА 1948 in extra time at the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round on August 11. The Greek side had drawn 1-1 in their previous meeting on August 5, but this time their late intervention proved decisive. The tie extended beyond the ninety minutes after C. Dessers struck in the 95th minute, sending the contest into extra time where the result was settled.
L. Garcia opened the scoring for Panathinaikos in the 60th minute, giving his side a half-time lead heading into the second half. The home side pushed hard for an equaliser and found one through L. Dvali in the 87th minute. It looked like the match might go to penalties until Dessers broke through in stoppage time.
There were several changes from both managers as the game tightened. E. Rastoder was replaced by A. Iliev in the 65th minute after collecting a yellow card, while M. Zemzemi followed suit two minutes later. Panathinaikos brought on P. Chirivella and S. Andino in the 88th minute as they sought to protect their lead.
The visitors had been inconsistent in their recent outings, drawing 2-2 with Paks and suffering a heavy 1-4 defeat to Rapid Vienna. Yet they showed resilience against a ЦСКА 1948 side that had won three of their last five matches, including a 3-1 victory over Lokomotiv Sofia. The Greek side refused to go away when pressed.
Four yellow cards were shown during the contest, with G. Katris, E. Rastoder, M. Zemzemi and E. Franco all cautioned. Franco received his booking in the 112th minute of extra time as tensions ran high. The match featured several substitutions from both camps, with Panathinaikos making five changes in the second half and extra time combined.
Панатинаикос advances to the next round after a hard-fought victory. The result ends ЦСКА 1948's unbeaten run in European qualification, though they had shown promise with their recent form. Dessers' late strike proved the difference in a match where chances came at critical moments.