UEL: Panathinaikos Edge Betis 1-0 in Europa League Last 16

Panathinaikos vs Betis - Taborda scores late winner

Highlights: Panathinaikos beat Real Betis 1-0 in the Europa League last 16 first leg, thanks to Vicente Taborda's 87th-minute penalty.

Panathinaikos take narrow lead into Europa League second leg vs Betis...

Panathinaikos snatched a crucial 1-0 win over Real Betis in the Europa League Round of 16 first leg, thanks to Vicente Taborda's 87th-minute penalty. The match was tight, with few chances created in the opening stages, but Betis dominated possession, holding over 70% of the ball in the first half.

The hosts were reduced to 10 men after Anass Zaroury received a second yellow card in the 59th minute. Despite this, they managed to create a few chances, including a brilliant save by Alban Lafont from Cucho Hernández's header. Betis struggled to capitalize on their dominance, and Panathinaikos's late penalty gave them the lead.

Betis took control early, forcing several corners and dominating possession (over 70%) as Panathinaikos struggled to get into the game. It wasn't until the 15th minute that Panathinaikos had a shot on goal, but Georgios Kyriakopoulos' effort went wide.

As the half progressed, Betis continued to dictate the tempo, with Panathinaikos struggling to cope with their opponents' pressure. The visitors' dominance didn't yield much, with Lafont making a crucial save from Cucho Hernández's header. 

Lafont made a crucial save in the 30th minute, keeping Hernández's low shot out. Despite Betis dominating possession (over 70%) and limiting Panathinaikos to few chances, they couldn't capitalize on their control, going into halftime still scoreless. 

Facundo Pellistri sparked some energy for Panathinaikos early in the second half, and Andrews Tetteh had a penalty appeal turned down. This woke Betis up, and Hernández had a great chance to score, missing by a whisker.

Betis pushed hard after that, but Panathinaikos held firm until the 87th minute, when Vicente Taborda scored the decisive penalty. 

Anass Zaroury got a second yellow card in the 59th minute for a foul on Abde Ezzalzouli, leaving Panathinaikos with 10 men. Despite being down a man, they pushed hard, but Betis's defense held strong.

With 15 minutes left, Panathinaikos still hadn't had a shot on target, despite their efforts to take the game to Betis. The late pressure eventually paid off with a penalty in the 87th minute, which they converted to take the lead. 

Antony's long-range shot was Betis's fifth attempt, with Lafont making a great save. But just a minute after coming on, Karol Świderski was fouled by Diego Llorente, and a penalty was awarded. Llorente got red carded after VAR review.

Taborda's late penalty wins it for hosts ☘️#UEL pic.twitter.com/mhjaB8tK0x

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) March 12, 2026

The penalty was scored by Vicente Taborda in the 87th minute, giving Panathinaikos the 1-0 lead. Would you like to know more about the match or the Europa League round of 16?

Vicente Taborda scored the winning penalty, Panathinaikos's first shot on target, in the 87th minute. The win preserves their strong home record, with just one loss in 13 matches at Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium (7 wins, 5 draws, 6 clean sheets).

The 1-0 lead gives them a crucial advantage heading into the second leg.