The Greek Super League match between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos came to a premature end when a player was injured by a firecracker. Encounters between these two Athens giants are often eventful, and Sunday’s showdown was no exception. Unfortunately, fans at the Karaiskakis Stadium disrupted what was shaping up to be an exciting contest by throwing objects onto the field.
Panathinaikos left-back Juankar suffered the worst of it, as reports indicated that the former Real Madrid academy graduate was struck by one of the pyrotechnic projectiles that landed on the pitch. The 33-year-old was warming up along the sideline when he was caught off guard and left injured.
A post from Panathinaikos’ official account on X reported the incident: “A firecracker falls on the players of our team who are warming up. Juankar is on the ground injured. “Interruption in the match. Our team retires to the locker room.”
There were conflicting reports regarding whether Juankar was directly hit by the projectile or if it exploded near him, causing disorientation. Some social media accounts suggested he was taken to the hospital, while others claimed he remained at the venue.
Concerns arose about Juankar’s injuries, and he was taken off the field on a medical cart. The rest of the Panathinaikos staff and players followed suit, leading to a game delay of over an hour while a decision was reached regarding the match’s continuation.
Reports indicated that Panathinaikos refused to return to the field, and the final outcome of the match remained uncertain. Officials reportedly ordered the visiting team back onto the field, but they declined, possibly resulting in Olympiakos being awarded a 3-0 victory by forfeit.
There’s a possibility that the game will be rescheduled for a later date, most likely to be played behind closed doors. Panathinaikos initially took the lead in the derby, with Georgios Vagiannidis opening the scoring before Mady Camara equalized for Olympiakos early in the second half.
If Olympiakos is indeed awarded a 3-0 victory by default, it is highly probable that Panathinaikos will appeal this decision, considering the significant impact caused by the home fans, emphasizing the intense rivalry known as ‘the derby of the eternal rivals’ or the ‘mother of all battles.’
Olympiakos performance and stats
It will be Olympiakos ended the league in the position with points.
It has a even goal difference after scoring goals and conceding .
Panathinaikos performance and stats
Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos is currently 1st in the Europa League with 4 points.
In the last 2 games, it has won once and drawn once. In its last match, Panathinaikos drawn 0-0 against Maccabi Haifa.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 2 goals and conceding 0.
Panathinaikos will play the next match in Europa League against Rennes on Thursday 26th of October in Athens. The prediction is Rennes winning the match.
