Nigerian striker Dessers propels team into Conference League qualifying rounds

Nigeria international Cyriel Dessers netted the winning goal in extra time, as Panathinaikos edged out CSKA 1948 2-1 in Sofia, thereby booking a spot in the UEFA Conference League play-off round.

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The winning strike came in the 94th minute at the Vasil Levski National Stadium, with Dessers restoring Panathinaikos' lead just two minutes after Lasha Dvali had levelled the score for the Bulgarian hosts.

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The triumph handed the Greek side a 3-2 aggregate victory, following last week's 1-1 draw in Athens, and marked a dramatic turnaround in the tie.

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Levi Garcia had initially given Panathinaikos the upper hand in the 66th minute, finding the bottom corner from a difficult angle to put his team 1-0 ahead.

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However, CSKA 1948 responded late in the game, with Dvali converting in the 92nd minute to force extra time, but Panathinaikos quickly regained the initiative.

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Dessers, who had already gone close earlier in the second half, reacted swiftly inside the box to fire a right-footed effort into the bottom-left corner, thereby settling the contest.

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The first leg of the tie had ended in a 1-1 draw at the Olympic Stadium in Athens on August 5, with Adriano Jagusic giving Panathinaikos the lead in the 21st minute.

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Georgi Rusev equalised for CSKA 1948 in the 31st minute, following a scramble inside the Panathinaikos penalty area, and the score remained level despite several opportunities for both teams to regain the lead.

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Panathinaikos created chances to take the lead, but CSKA goalkeeper Petar Marinov denied De Vrij with a strong save, while Rusev later went close to putting the visitors ahead.

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Gasevic also struck the crossbar in the 82nd minute as the Bulgarian side finished strongly, but ultimately, the 1-1 result meant Panathinaikos travelled to Sofia needing to avoid defeat to stay in the European campaign.

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The team did more than that, surviving CSKA's late equaliser before Dessers' extra-time intervention sent them through to the next round.

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Panathinaikos will now proceed to the Conference League play-off round, with Dessers' late goal proving decisive in a tie that remained in the balance until extra time.

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Dessers had resumed full training with the Greek club in July, following a six-month layoff due to a thigh injury, and marked his return from injury with a decisive goal that gave the team a chance to compete in Europe next season.