Panathinaikos seeks European rebound

ATHENS, Greece (AP)—Greek champion Panathinaikos is looking to restore some pride after its 5-1 loss to Barcelona in the Champions League, but will miss valuable Frenchman Sidney Govou for Wednesday’s match against FC Copenhagen.
Govou, who scored Panathinaikos’ only goal against Barcelona in nfl jerseys
the Group D opener, picked up a right thigh injury in weekend training and is likely to sit out for two weeks.
The Greek side steadied its nerves with a 2-1 victory over Panionios in the Greek league Saturday, and lies a point behind rival Olympiakos in second place.
Coach Nikos Nioplias is also missing French-born center back Cedric Kante, but will have Greece defender Nikos Spyropoulos at his disposal after his return from a two-week injury.
Nioplias has made little secret of his frustration after a string of average league performances, and players appeared keen to make amends with a good result against Copenhagen.
“It’s vital that we beat the Danish team,” Brazilian playmaker Gilberto Silva Indianapolis Colts jersey
said. “After that we still have a good opportunity to qualify.”
French defender Jean-Alain Boumsong added: “We all know Barcelona owns the first place in this group. But we must fight hard for second place.”
Copenhagen started its campaign with a late win at home against Russian club Rubin Kazan, but coach Stale Solbakken said he remains wary of the threat posed by top Greek-league goalscorer Djibril Cisse.
“Panathinaikos has a lot of quality players … They have strengthened their roster with players like Cisse, but their Greek players also form the backbone of the national team,” Solbakken told the Athens daily Ethnos.
Defensive anchor Solvi Ottesen is out for Wednesday’s game at Athens Olympic Stadium, after the 26-year-old Icelander broke his arm in a Danish league match this month.
Solbakken is pinning hopes on Senegalese striker Dame N’Doye, who played for two seasons in Greece at Panathinaikos and OFI, before moving to Denmark last year.
“He’s obviously going to play,” Solbakken said. “And he’ll be hoping to prove Dallas Cowboys jersey
to the people at Panathinaikos that they shouldn’t have let him go.”