Relieved Schum aims higher

Ezequiel González was the hero for Panathinaikos FC as the Greek champions fought off a resilient challenge from UEFA Champions League Group E rivals Rosenborg BK to win their first match of the season. González scored in each half to thwart the Norwegian champions who pressed hard for much of the game, but only had Frode Johnsen's late goal to show for a string of excellent chances.

Itzhak Shum, Panathinaikos coach
"It was a very difficult match but what matters most is that we won. That is the most important thing on the first matchday of the competition. We can and we must perform better in the next matches and I believe that once the Greek league season starts we will improve our game. Rosenborg's performance was not a surprise to me. We knew they would be tough opponents because we saw them eliminate Maccabi Haifa in Israel. They have also played 20 matches in their league, which they are leading, and that was a big advantage over us. For the first time we played with just one defensive midfield player instead of two, in order to have two strikers up front. It was our way of surprising Rosenborg who were expecting a different formation."

Ola By Rise, Rosenborg coach
"I am pleased with our performance but not the result. I believed that we could at least have got a draw from this match. However, I congratulate Panathinaikos on their win because they were able to take advantage of their chances. They defended well, have the potential to improve in the future and Ezequiel González proved today what a good player he is. We had our share of chances but could not convert them into goals, due to poor finishing or bad luck. I believe that if we perform in the future like we did today, then we have a good chance of qualifying for the next stage."