In an epic showdown that broke UEFA competition records, Panathinaikos’ Argentinian midfielder Daniel Mancini started off the penalty shootout against Ajax on a low note with a weak kick that was easily saved by 40-year-old goalkeeper Remko Pasveer. The memorable contest featured 34 penalties in total – 25 were successful, two missed entirely, and seven were saved. Despite having five opportunities to score the winning shot, Ajax faltered four times before eventually securing a victory.
Striker Brian Brobbey was brought onto the field towards the end of extra time, likely with the shootouts in mind. However, his performance was disappointing, as he missed both his penalties, both of which could have won the game for Ajax. The first was blocked by Panathinaikos’ goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski, while the second ended up in the stands. Brobbey’s dreadful penalties formed a stark contrast to the following line of kickers, particularly Steven Bergwijn and Kenneth Taylor from Ajax and former Leicester City winger Tete, who scored effortlessly.
The faceoff took a strange turn when Tonny Vilhena of the Greek side ‘morally’ missed his penalty. His shot, low and to the right, was saved by Pasveer but somehow managed to spin across the goal mouth and into the opposite corner. To add a touch of controversy, Vilhena proceeded to hush the Ajax crowd, drawing their ire. Following this incident, Ajax’s Jordan Henderson managed to score a penalty, marking an improvement from his patchy penalty-shooting record.
Nemanja Maksimovic’s missed penalty for Panathinaikos, saved adeptly by Pasveer, set the stage for another Ajax flop as Bertrand Traore sent his shot both high and wide. The escalating tension amidst the drawn-out ordeal culminated in a brief squabble and the booking of a player from each side. The stalemate continued with further saves by both goalkeepers, causing apparent exasperation among the two teams’ coaches, respectively Francesco Farioli and Diego Alonso.
The shootout shifted gears as the players continued to hit bullseye for the next 14 penalties. The peculiar spectacle climaxed when Ajax was handed another opportunity to end the game on a high, but their striker Filip Mladenovic’s shot was thwarted by Pasveer. Brobbey, presented with another shot at redemption, ended up booting his third attempt into the audience, visibly devastated by his performance.
In yet another twist of fate, Vilhena, the controversial Feyenoord product, moved forward to take another shot for Panathinaikos. However, his attempt at reprising his previous penalty was foiled by Pasveer, marking the goalkeeper’s fifth save in the event. The final kick came from Ajax’s Anton Gaaei in place of Henderson, securing a 13-12 victory for his team. Spanning over 24 minutes, the record-breaking penalty shooutout was concluded with Ajax advancing to the play-off round. Despite not clinching the title of the longest penalty shootout in history, the extraordinary event sparked enough intrigue and drama with Pasveer’s stunning saves, Brobbey’s repeated failures, and Farioli’s evident exasperation.
