Panathinaikos defeats Real Betis 1-0 in Europa League first leg

Panathinaikos secured a 1-0 victory against Real Betis at the Olympic Athletic Center of Athens during the first leg of the Europa League round of 16. Matías Táborda scored the decisive goal via a penalty in the 88th minute following a foul on Świderski. The Greek side played with ten men from the 59th minute after Anas Zaroury received a second yellow card. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the team maintained the lead under the management of coach Rafael Benítez, who remains undefeated in his first eight European matches with the club. Panathinaikos fans have responded to the team's performance by organizing a second charter flight to Seville for the return leg on March 19. UEFA recognized the performance as one of the best of the week, alongside AEK Athens' victory against Celje. The club currently holds its best European point total in 23 years.