Greece Celebrates the Croatian Benitez Ignored
Young Adriano Jagušić scores his second consecutive European goal and captivates the Greek media.
Young Adriano Jagušić scores his second consecutive European goal and captivates the Greek media.
Panathinaikos and CSKA 1948 Sofia played out a 1:1 draw on Wednesday evening in the first leg of the third qualifying round for the Conference League. The hero of the home side was Croatian talent Adriano Jagušić (20), who made a brilliant run onto Santino Andino's cross in the 21st minute and headed the ball into the net for the lead. However, the visitors quickly responded-just ten minutes later, Georgi Rusev leveled the score to 1:1.
The Greek giants will now have to seek progression in the return leg in Bulgaria, and the home crowd sent their favorites off with a chorus of whistles. The only bright spot was the former Slaven Belupo player, whose performances this season continue to impress.
This was only Jagušić's second official goal for Panathinaikos, following his first in the 2:2 draw against Paks in the second qualifying round. His tally of two goals in three appearances this season is just a continuation of his excellent form from the pre-season, where he assisted in the win over Ajax (3:1) and scored against Grasshoppers (3:0).
It's a complete turnaround from last half-season, when then-coach Rafael Benitez completely ignored him. Jagušić played only six matches in all competitions, totaling just 84 minutes. With the arrival of Jacob Neestrup as head coach, he has become a mainstay in the starting lineup.
His performance against CSKA did not go unnoticed in the Greek media. According to Sofascore, Jagušić received a rating of 7.4, making him the second-best player on his team-only teammate Rick Van Drongelen (8.0) scored higher, while CSKA's Lasha Dvali got 7.9.
"Jagušić was an oasis and was poorly substituted," Gazzetta succinctly summarized.
Portal MensHouse was even more enthusiastic: "In yet another match, it seemed this kid has that 'something' you recognize when you see it and believe in with all your heart. It's not just his goal, his second consecutive European match. He ran up and down, tracked back, tackled, fought with all his might, created, sought the ball, never hid."
Sport24 adds that "it's no coincidence that among the midfield trio, the intensity and 'nerve' that Adriano Jagušić exudes, combined with his skills and quality of execution, set him apart as a fly in the ointment".
The numbers back up the impressions. Against CSKA, Jagušić completed 48 of 53 passes (91% accuracy), with 47 of those in the opponent's half. He added four shots (two on target), two successful dribbles out of three attempts, and three ball recoveries.
Greek outlet Sport.fm particularly praised his "perfect header" and "impressive movement" towards the ball. After the match, the young Croatian said: "We still have the game in Bulgaria ahead of us, and we're going for the win. CSKA is a good team. We need to improve and focus on our transitions. We have five days to prepare."
Jagušić joined Panathinaikos from Slaven Belupo, where he scored 16 goals and provided 10 assists in 67 appearances. The Koprivnica club received a fee of around €5.2 million, with an additional €800,000 in bonuses and a 20% sell-on clause. According to Transfermarkt, his current market value stands at €5 million.
