Gilberto awed as gods smile on the Greens
December 10, 2008
Gilberto reflected on an “amazing achievement” after Henk ten Cate’s Panathinaikos FC clinched a place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League as Group B winners with a 1-0 win against Anorthosis Famagusta FC on Matchday 6.
Remarkable turnaround
Giorgos Karagounis’ 69th-minute strike proved enough to clinch the victory which, combined with FC Internazionale Milano’s 2-1 defeat by Werder Bremen, saw Pana claim top spot in the pool, completing a remarkable turnaround for Ten Cate’s side. “It’s simply fantastic. To finish first in the group is incredible,” said Gilberto. “It is an amazing achievement because we perhaps didn’t expect it to happen after the bad start we had.”Passion and experience
Panathinaikos had looked to be out of contention after picking up just one point from their first three matches. However, away wins against Werder Bremen (3-0) and Inter (1-0) followed before Tuesday’s success on Ten Cate’s 54th birthday ended Anorthosis’ impressive debut campaign in the competition and propelled the Greek side to the summit.‘A long way’
“We always believed in ourselves, and through our passion and experience we have managed not only to qualify but to do it as group winners,” continued the former Arsenal FC midfielder. “We feel we can go a long way in the competition if we play as we have done in the last three matches. In the next phase, however, things are different. We need to be at our best.”‘Anything can happen’
Match-winner Karagounis was given a rousing reception from the 70,000 supporters packed inside the OACA Spiros Louis Stadium when substituted late on, and the Greek international was delighted with the result. “It is vital that we have qualified as group winners. We have finished above Inter Milan which is a great achievement,” said the 31-year-old. “We are now among the 16 best teams in Europe.” Karagounis, whose galvanising displays have been a key factor for his club in the campaign so far, continued: “I don’t have a particular preference for our next opponents, we will wait for the draw to see. All the teams in the knockout stage are good and whoever we play will pose a difficult challenge for us, but anything can happen.”