Conference League Quali, Playoffs, First leg, Thursday, 22.08.2024 at 21:00
If I’m right with my Lens Panathinaikos Athens betting tip, then even the best sports betting bonus won’t be able to comfort the fans of “Sang et Or” after the Conference League playoff first leg.
Thanks to some big-name summer signings, the Greeks have put together a powerful squad that could soon give the RCL a European Cup-less season
In the Europa League play-offs, there are a number of fixtures in which less strong teams meet than in this encounter.
That’s because Panathinaikos have made another personnel upgrade for the 2024/25 season and almost knocked none other than Ajax Amsterdam out of the competition in one of the craziest penalty shoot-out thrillers in soccer history.
If someone had told the Greek fans before the game that even 12 converted penalties would not be enough for them to win a penalty shoot-out, they would surely have flipped them the bird
Lens, last year’s Ligue 1 runners-up, have regressed after finishing runners-up in 2022/23 and are now aiming to at least qualify for the main round of the Conference League.
However, “Sang et Or” do not seem to me to have started the new season on the right foot.
Although they beat Angers 1-0 in the league on matchday 1, the cellar dwellers almost conceded a late equalizer to the RCL in their first competitive match of the season
Panathinaikos, on the other hand, have already played five competitive matches, including four in the Europa League qualifiers against Botev Plovdiv and Ajax Amsterdam as well as the unsuccessful Super League opener against Asteras Tripolis (0:1).
This unexpected defeat against the league rivals has probably also led to the German bookmakers adjusting their odds for the match between Lens and Panathinaikos so that RCL is now the clear favorite.
However, with average odds of around 1.50 to 5.00 in favor of the French, the starting position reminds me a lot of the second leg between Athens and Ajax
Panathinaikos already gave the bookies the lie to Ajax just under a week ago at the Johan Cruyff Arena thanks to their 1-0 win, which opened the door to extra time and the subsequent penalty thriller.
Accordingly, I’m struggling to accept the surprisingly low RCL win odds, especially as we’re still at the very start of the season.
With this in mind, the double chance X2 bet at odds of around 2.20 is a more interesting offer in my eyes.
And honestly? If we’re already there and Panathinaikos actually get through the first leg without losing, then I could probably also get excited about the odds of around 2.75 for promotion.
In any case, the Greeks have had an impressive transfer campaign and have already had several competitive matches to find the perfect starting line-up.
Relatively expensive new signings such as Sverrir Ingi Ingason (FC Midtjylland), Tete (Galatasaray), Philipp Max (Frankfurt) and the keeper Bartlomiej Dragowski, who I know well from Serie A, should not be underestimated.
It may only be worth a small side note, but from a historical perspective, favoring the home team is rarely a wrong decision in this pairing.
Of the four European Cup duels between Lens and Panathinaikos, the hosts have never lost (3 wins, 1 draw).
However, we are talking about the 1998/99 Champions League group stage, when both sides won a preliminary round match 1-0.
In contrast, RCL Lens emerged from the two Europa League knockout matches in the 2006/07 season as the team that was ultimately promoted.
But personally, I’d rather pay attention to the Interwetten bonus on Thursday than one of these distant European Cup duels
Conclusion: Panathinaikos travel to Lens and sports betting fans should be well positioned with a double chance bet (X2).
The Greeks have had a solid transfer campaign so far and are defensively stable. Lens, on the other hand, lack a little competitive experience and could struggle to break through Panathinaikos’ compact defense.
A draw or even an away win is therefore a distinct possibility
My tip: Double chance X2
