Cyriel Dessers came from the bench to score a remarkable brace, helping Panathinaikos secure a 2-1 win over Hradec Králové on Thursday night to qualify for the UEFA Conference League with a 4-3 aggregate victory.
Dessers, who marked his return to competitive action on August 11 with a goal after not making any appearance in 238 days, is gradually returning to full form, with his brace ensuring that Panathinaikos will feature in the league phase of the 2026/27 Conference League.
While the first leg ended in an entertaining 2-2 draw, the return leg remained goalless until Dessers was introduced in the 59th minute. Just 13 minutes after coming in, the Super Eagles striker broke the deadlock, finding the net with a stunning header to give his side a 1-0 lead on the night and a 3-2 lead on aggregate.
Dessers’ header seemed to be the winning goal, but Hradec Kralove grabbed a late equaliser through Vladimir Darida who scored in the 92nd minute to send the game into extra time.
More Read
The extra 30 minutes went by without any goal, and when the game looked like it was heading into a penalty shootout, Panathinaikos struck. In the 125th minute, the visitors were awarded a penalty. Dessers stepped up and converted the spot kick, sending his side through to the league phase of the Conference League.
With their Conference League spot secured, Panathinaikos will now await the league phase draw which will decide their opponents during the competition. The draw will take place on Friday.
The Greek side will return to action on Monday when they take on Levadiakos in their opening 2026/27 Super League game. Dessers will be aiming to continue his strong form as he works his way back to full fitness.
© Bold Sports Media. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
