Panathinaikos eliminates CSKA 1948 to advance in Conference League

Panathinaikos secured their place in the Conference League playoffs after defeating CSKA 1948 in Sofia on August 11, 2026. Following a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Athens, the return match ended 1-1 in regular time, necessitating an extra-time period to decide the winner.

Levi Garcia opened the scoring in the 60th minute with his debut goal for the Greek club, but the hosts equalized through Dvali in the 87th minute. The deadlock was eventually broken in the 95th minute when Dessers capitalized on a defensive error to score the decisive goal, securing a 2-1 victory. This result allows Panathinaikos to advance to the next stage of the competition while maintaining their European aspirations under manager Jacob Neestrup.