logo
My goal against Rangers for Panathinaikos wasn't enough last time – here is the key in this Champions League tie

My goal against Rangers for Panathinaikos wasn't enough last time – here is the key in this Champions League tie

Daily Record20-07-2025
The Light Blues face the Greeks at Ibrox on Tuesday in a massive first leg tie
Panathinaikos legend Giannis Goumas netted the last time they faced Rangers and he's warned the Greek side not to be blown away by the Ibrox atmosphere on Tuesday.

Rangers host Panathinaikos in Glasgow in the second qualifying round of the Champions League with the return in Athens.

The last time the sides met, it finished goalless at Ibrox in 2008 before Goumas opened the scoring for the hosts in the return leg.

But an 81st minute goal from Nacho Novo saw Rangers go through on away goals to send them into the Last 16 in a competition where they eventually went all the way to the final before losing to Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester.
And Goumas - who spent his entire career at Panathinaikos and helped Greece win Euro 2004 - is wary of the Ibrox atmosphere.
He said: "The key for the tie is for Panathinaikos to withstand the pressure in Scotland.

"I scored a great goal against Rangers in 2008, but it meant nothing because we didn't qualify.
"It was a shame because it was one of the best goals of my career.

"Rangers are also undergoing transformation with a new manager and players and we don't know how they will present themselves in these two games.
"But they are a Scottish team and we know the Scots bring out that extra passion, especially at home.
"The atmosphere in front of their fans will be explosive. That's the key for me, in the first game Panathinaikos will have to withstand the pressure and must try to be able to score without being afraid of the home team.

"They have to go and play their game, get a result and if they do that, I think their task will be easier in the second leg
"Any player who wears the Panathinaikos jersey must honour it and give everything they have. There is no need for fear, but there is certainly pressure in Glasgow."
Meanwhile, Panathinaikos have slashed ticket prices for their home leg against Rangers next week to just £13 in a bid to get a full house.

The game has been moved to Athens' Olympic Stadium because Panathinaikos' home stadium is still being renovated and they want to get as close to the capacity of 69,000 as possible.
Follow Record Sport on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-the minute breaking news, video and audio on the SPFL, the Scotland national team and beyond.
You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers page, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Brendan Rodgers drops imminent Celtic transfer hint as boss makes his priority clear
Brendan Rodgers drops imminent Celtic transfer hint as boss makes his priority clear

Daily Record

time6 minutes ago

  • Daily Record

Brendan Rodgers drops imminent Celtic transfer hint as boss makes his priority clear

The Hoops kick off their title defence this weekend against St Mirren but have endured a frustrating window so far Brendan Rodgers hopes Celtic will have another new face through the door this week. ‌ The Hoops have had three bids kicked out by Go Ahead Eagles for £6million-rated midfielder Jakob Breum. ‌ Celts are also locked in talks with Manchester City over a loan deal for promising defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey. ‌ And with the title defence kicking off this weekend, Rodgers hinted that a new signing is imminent. He told Sky Sports: "Yeah, well, we hope this week there might be some news on that. "Coaches and the transfer market don't move at the same pace. A coach always wants a player in immediately, but the transfer market doesn't always work like that. "There's a lot that goes into it - but it's also the reason for pre-season. You want your team together as quickly as you can so you can get some good work in, get the togetherness, get the spirit, everything formed. "But, of course, we know that traditionally it can be a challenge. By the end of the window, hopefully that will be the case. In the meantime, we're working very, very hard. "We're excited by what's here at the moment and looking forward to the weekend." ‌ Kieran Tierney and Benji Nygren are among the six new Bhoys who have arrived at Parkhead over the summer. But the champions have offloaded a dozen players and banked £17million from Nicolas Kuhn's sale to Como. ‌ He said: "Listen, as I said, a coach will always want the players in. I think it's arithmetic. It's purely counting. "We've lost players and we want to replace those players with quality. So it's not an opinion, it's where it's at. "We've lost key players and we want to replace those as quickly as we can in order to keep developing. ‌ "I'm very hopeful that we can do that." Rodgers is desperately searching for more firepower having also lost Kyogo in January without replacing the Japanese goal machine. He said: "For us it's tweaks because obviously last year we scored the most amount of goals in over 50-odd years of any Celtic team. ‌ "So that tells you there's a lot really good with the team. Clearly you want to improve each season. "But I think the attacking department will always be the strength of my team. "So that's something that we want to always improve on. ‌ "Whether that's through tactical ideas or players, it's an area that we always want to improve." Celtic will discover who stands between them and the Champions League league phase when the playoff draw is made on Monday. Fans have demanded the Parkhead board loosen the purse strings but Rodgers is refusing to hit the panic button. ‌ He said: "For me the focus is very much on what's here. We know we have work to do and I'm hopeful that we can get that done by the end of the window. "But in the meantime, the players have worked fantastically over the course of this pre-season. "It's been nice with the guys are coming in. They've added that quality to the group. ‌ "We've got some younger players coming in, like young Callum Osmand, who's a young player for the future. It was a great opportunity for us to take him from Fulham, which was great. "We still have work to do in the market, but I'm really excited. The focus is really on the players that are here, of course, and they've been working very, very well. "Hopefully by the end of the month, as I said, we'll be a stronger squad for the end of the transfer window."

Rangers predicted line up vs Panathinaikos: Russell Martin makes major Djeidi Gassama call for Athens clash
Rangers predicted line up vs Panathinaikos: Russell Martin makes major Djeidi Gassama call for Athens clash

Scotsman

time7 minutes ago

  • Scotsman

Rangers predicted line up vs Panathinaikos: Russell Martin makes major Djeidi Gassama call for Athens clash

Rangers will aim to progress to the Champions League third qualifying round as they head to Greece to face Panathinaikos in a crucial second-leg clash the Athens Olympic Stadium on Wednesday evening (kick off:7pm). Russell Martin's side travel to Greece with a healthy advantage following last week's 2-0 first leg win at Ibrox, when Findlay Curtis and Djeidi Gassama were the heroes thanks to their audacious second-half strikes. The Gers are without the services of both Thelo Aasgaard and Hamza Igamane, with the duo not travelling to the Greek capital, while Ridvan Yilmaz, Clinton Nsiala and Ben Davies will also miss the clash after being omitted from Rangers' squad for the competition. Elsewhere, new signing Gassama will be hoping to make his first competitive start for the club, while last season's top goal scorer Cyriel Dessers is hoping to wrestle a starting XI spot away from Danilo. But how will Martin opt to line up at the Athens Olympic Stadium? Here's what The Scotsman predict Rangers starting XI will look like for tonight's Champions League qualifying tie:

Rangers transfer crescendo as Ridvan Yilmaz push 'imminent' and deal for cult hero hinges on mega signing on fee
Rangers transfer crescendo as Ridvan Yilmaz push 'imminent' and deal for cult hero hinges on mega signing on fee

Daily Record

time7 minutes ago

  • Daily Record

Rangers transfer crescendo as Ridvan Yilmaz push 'imminent' and deal for cult hero hinges on mega signing on fee

The Turkey international has been left out of Gers Champions League squad Besiktas will step up their attempts to re-sign Rangers full back Ridvan Yilmaz this week - according to a report. ‌ Injuries restricted the defender to just 26 appearances in all competitions last season, with just 16 of those outings coming in the Premiership. ‌ The 24-year-old has featured for Gers in pre-season but looks to be on the way out after Russell Martin left him out of the squad for the crunch Champions League second round qualifier against Panathinaikos, with the Light Blues taking a 2-0 lead into tonight's return fixture in Athens. ‌ Besiktas have been heavily linked with Yilmaz since the end of last season and Turkish outlet KRT TV claim that talks have been put on hold until after the Istanbul giants crunch Europa League second round qualifier second leg against Shakhtar Donetsk. Besiktas currently trail the Ukranian's 4-2 from the first leg at home last week going into Thursday night's clash. Martin has added seven new faces so far this summer and is closing in on eighth. Rangers are poised to seal a loan swoop for talented Tottenham teen Mikey Moore, who will reportedly undergo a medical in the next 48 hours. The 17-year-old is highly thought of by Spurs, with new boss Thomas Frank keen for the starlet to go out and get regular minutes in the coming season. ‌ Elsewhere, Legia Warsaw have been told they will have to pay Ianis Hagi a bumper £1million signing on fee to bring him to Poland. The Romania international is a free agent after calling it quits on his four and a half year stay at Ibrox earlier this summer and is said to be a target for Legia, who are managed by his former international team manager Edi Iordanescu. Hagi has already reportedly knocked back an approach from the Polish outfit and Arcadie Zaporojanu, who claims to represent the player, has outlined what will need to happen for the transfer to become a reality. ‌ He said: "The situation with Legia Warsaw and Ianis is that I discussed his possible move just the other day with the owner of Legia."He just needs to put his hands in his pocket and it's solved. The sum is £1 million when he signs. "I was involved in these discussions even before Edi Iordănescu was appointed as manager there. I had discussed this transfer option with the owner. "I proposed a certain financial option, which the owner initially did not accept. It was about giving him a significant amount upon signing and a salary of £600,000 per year, so as not to disrupt his salary scale at the club. "It can be completed at any time."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store