The Greek club team seemed intent on ending the tournament with a victory and were stronger from the outset, an early header from Stavros Tsorbatzidis and a drive across goal from Valentinos Vlachos causing discomfort for Honvéd. On the half-hour mark Panathinaikos made their pressure count, Panagiotis Katsikis’s cross from a half-clearance being half-volley back across into the far left corner by Makaronas.
It took a further six minutes for Honvéd to seriously threaten the opposition goal and when they did it was courtesy of a set-piece, Richárd Czár’s curling left-footed free-kick just being tipped away by goalkeeper Alexandros Tampakis.
There was no further meaningful action until the break but the second half was much as the first had been, Panathinaikos pressure interspersed with sporadic Honvéd counter-attacks. Indeed nearly all of Honvéd’s attacking threat came through the partnership of two substitutes, their right-winger Márton Örmeny and striker Attila Kaltenekker. They combined in the 50th minute when Örmeny’s jinking run allowed him to release Kaltenekker but his low shot flew wide.
Just a minute later Panathinaikos should have extended their lead but somehow the Hungarian side survived, clearing at least three shots off the line following a penalty area melleé. Five minutes later Honvéd were back ont he attack but Kaltenekker’s header from Örmeny’s long ball was cut out well by the onrushing Tampakis.
Although Honvéd were doing their best to get back into the game they failed to wrest domination from an industrious Panathinaikos who were in fact next to threaten, this time from a long-range drive by Konstantinos Kardaris which was beaten away well by Honvéd goalkeeper Gergely Kapusi.
