Cyriel Dessers scored shortly after coming on as Panathinaikos secured a 2-1 away victory against Levadiakos in the Greek Super League on Monday night.
The Nigeria international was introduced in the 68th minute, replacing Andrews Tetteh, and quickly made his presence felt. Dessers doubled Panathinaikos’ lead only minutes after entering the game, maintaining his excellent scoring form at the start of the season.
The goal was his fourth in four appearances for the Greens across all competitions this term.
Panathinaikos had taken control of the match almost immediately, moving in front after only three minutes. Giannis Kosti inadvertently put the ball into his own net to give the visitors an early advantage.
Levadiakos’ hopes of recovering from that setback suffered another blow around the hour mark when Panagiotis Simelidis was sent off with a straight red card. The dismissal left the home side with 10 players for the remainder of the contest.
Dessers’ arrival then provided Panathinaikos with the decisive attacking moment. Having replaced Andrews Tetteh, the forward needed only a short time to add to the visitors’ advantage and underline his strong start to the campaign.
Although Levadiakos scored once, Panathinaikos held on to complete a 2-1 victory away from home. The result was secured after the visitors had benefited from both the early own goal and the numerical advantage created by Simelidis’ dismissal.
For Dessers, the latest strike continues a productive opening to his Panathinaikos career this season. He has now found the net in four of his four appearances across all competitions, making an immediate contribution whenever selected.
The forward’s impact from the substitutes’ bench was particularly significant on Monday, with his goal arriving just minutes after he entered the match. Panathinaikos were able to protect their lead and leave Levadiakos with the points.
The match began in the best possible way for Panathinaikos when Kosti’s unfortunate own goal put them ahead in the third minute. Levadiakos were then reduced to 10 men around the 60-minute mark, before Dessers extended the advantage after coming on.
Panathinaikos ultimately completed the away win, while Dessers’ latest goal further strengthened his impressive scoring record at the beginning of the term.
Report by Adeboye Amosu, Senior Content Writer, NPFL expert, Super Eagles and Chelsea writer.