Villarreal quality keeps Nilsson on his toes

The long march to the brink of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals began in July for Panathinaikos FC and Mikael Nilsson, the defender who started that opening match against FC Dinamo Tbilisi and has missed just two of the Greens' eleven games so far.

Experienced campaigners
As a member of the only team in the last 16 to have emerged from the second qualifying round, the Swedish international is well-versed in the tactical and psychological challenges of the élite European club competition. So when Nilsson says that Panathinaikos's first knockout round tie against Villarreal CF remains "very open" despite Henk Ten Cate's side achieving a 1-1 first-leg draw in Spain, it is worth listening. The Athens outfit may have racked up six victories to reach this stage, but their three most disappointing performances have come when they were either favourites or enjoying home advantage at their OACA Spiros Louis Stadium.

Cautious approach
"If you take a good look at this game, you realise that Villarreal are a very good side and the tie is very open. If we are actually favourites, then I cannot say we are big favourites," cautioned a player who experienced the home defeat by FC Internazionale Milano and the home draw with Werder Bremen on Matchdays 1 and 3. Nor was it a consolation that he sat out the surprise defeat by Anorthosis Famagusta FC in Cyprus that those two results sandwiched. "I know the result in Spain, and the fact we play the second game at home, will make people assume we are better placed to go through," continued the 30-year-old former Halmstads BK and Southampton FC man. "But Villarreal played so well in the first leg that I thought we were a bit lucky to keep it at 0-0 in the first half." The visitors eventually got themselves into a position to win the away leg before surrendering the lead given them by Giorgos Karagounis's long-range goal by conceding a Giuseppe Rossi penalty.

Strong opponents
"I don't think we played well over there," added Nilsson, who nonetheless relished the examination offered by Manuel Pellegrini's side. "We were pushed back a great deal despite intending to play higher up the pitch. It was a very different style of game from what we face in the Greek league – I don't think we normally play teams that are as good as Villarreal. The tempo of their game is higher, but we adapted well and brought back a good result." Indeed, Panathinaikos have won eight and lost just one of nine ties in the European Champion Clubs' Cup when they have drawn the first leg on their travels. They may not be favourites, but they have hardly hurt their chances of continuing along the long road to Rome.