Tottenham’s Record in Greece (Panathinaikos Europa League)

1972 UEFA Cup winners

Tottenham play their second Group match in this season’s Europa League against Panathinaikos in Greece on Thursday evening. This will be the third occasion Spurs have met teams from Greece in European competitions. The first time was in the UEFA Cup in 1972-73 and then in last year’s Europa League they were drawn in the same group as PAOK Salonika. They have also played in Greece as part of a summer tour in 1968 and have faced teams from Greece in a number of friendlies.

1972-73 UEFA Cup

Tottenham, the UEFA Cup holders, met Olympiakos in the 2nd Round and had a comfortable win in the home leg, winning 4 – 0. Their goals were scored by Jimmy Pearce (2), Martin Chivers and Ralph Coates. Pearce scored the first after twelve minutes when Chivers laid the ball off low from Ray Evans’ cross. Chivers scored the second after 25 minutes when he headed in Coates’ cross. Four minutes into the second half, Coates made it three having been set up by Chivers. Pearce added the final goal with a powerful shot. A minute after the fourth goal, Spurs were awarded a penalty when Cyril Knowles was brought down. Martin Peters took the kick but the goalkeeper moved as he saved it. The referee ordered it to be retaken. The goalkeeper again saved Peters’ shot but he had again moved early but this time the referee awarded a corner.

The four goal advantage that Tottenham took to Greece for the second leg, eased their task considerably, the match being less less difficult than had been originally anticipated. The game in Greece was Spurs’ sixth match in 14 days and ‘they played like tired men’. Captain, Martin Peters was missing having taken ill at the last minute. Terry Naylor and Mike Dillon were drafted in to strengthen the defence and Spurs concentrated on containment and protecting their first leg lead. This required right back, Ray Evans to clear off the line on two occasions but then a mistake by Pat Jennings just before the interval presented the Greek side with a goal, with the last kick of the half. In the second half Chivers had a shot saved and then hit the post. Spurs held out to progress. Afterwards Bill Nicholson commented,

"“We came here determined to not to lose the lead we had built up in London. While we are never happy to lose, we are satisfied to be through to the next round.”"

Team: Jennings; Evans, Knowles; Mullery, England, Dillon; Gilzean, Perryman, Chivers, Naylor, Pratt

2011-12 Europa League

Tottenham’s first match in the Group stage took them to Greece to meet PAOK Salonika. The Europa League being regarded as being of little importance by the management, Harry Redknapp sent out a very young and inexperienced team. They played exceptionally well to keep the match scoreless and were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty when Harry Kane was clearly brought down in the first half. In the final minutes it was the goalkeeping of the experience, Carlo Cudicini which kept the teams level, as he produced a number of excellent saves in the final moments to deny PAOK. It was a good start by the young team but in the return game Spurs lost 1 – 2 and made their task of achieving qualification to the knock-out stages almost impossible.

Team: Cudicini; Walker, Corluka, Bassong, Townsend; Falque (Fredericks), Livermore, Carroll, Giovani (Parrett), Kane; Pavlyuchenko.  Subs: Gomes, Nicholson, Stewart, Barthram, Prichard

Summer Tour to Greece

In May, 1968 Tottenham went on an end of season tour to Greece and Cyprus. The opening match was against Panathinaikos and ended level at 2 – 2. Alan Gilzean scored both goals for a full strength team with only Cyril Knowles absent from the team which had finished the season with a 2 – 1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers, four days earlier. After that one match in Greece the team moved on to Cyprus where they played a further four matches.

Friendlies

In August, 2001 Spurs travelled to Greece for a preseason friendly against AEK Athens. They lost 1 – 2 with Gus Poyet scoring for Spurs.

In August, 2009 Spurs played Olympiakos at White Hart Lane in their final warm up match for the new season. They won 3 – 0 with the goals being scored by Roman Pavlyuchenko, Vedran Corluka and Jermain Defoe.

Although Panathinaikos lost their opening match in Moldova against NK Maribor, they will be a different proposition at home. Tottenham, having drawn with Lazio at White Hart Lane, can expect a difficult match but will be looking for a positive outcome to improve their standing in the group.