Jagušić on Fire in Europe: Young Croatian Scores Again
Adriano Jagušić nets his second consecutive goal for the Athens club, this time in the first leg of the Conference League third qualifying round.
Adriano Jagušić nets his second consecutive goal for the Athens club, this time in the first leg of the Conference League third qualifying round.
Young Croatian international Adriano Jagušić continued his fantastic run. On Wednesday, August 5, 2026, he scored another goal for Panathinaikos, this time in the first leg of the Conference League third qualifying round. The Greek powerhouse hosted a Bulgarian side at home, and the 20-year-old Croatian gave his team the lead in the 21st minute.
The move leading to the goal started on the left flank. Argentine Santino Andino, referred to by some sources simply as Andino, delivered the ball into the box. Jagušić made a brilliant run and headed the ball into the net to make it 1:0. However, the Greeks' advantage didn't last long, as Rusev equalized for the Bulgarian team.
It's worth noting that sources differ on the full name of the opposing club. While 24sata and Tportal report the match was against CSKA Sofia, Index.hr states it was CSKA 1948 Sofia.
This was Jagušić's second official goal for Panathinaikos. He scored his first in the previous match, a 2:2 draw against Hungarian side Paks in the second qualifying round. The young striker's excellent form comes as no surprise, given that he had already hinted at a big season during this summer's pre-season friendlies. He assisted in a win against Ajax and also scored in a victory over Swiss side Grasshoppers.
Jagušić's start in Greece wasn't easy. In the first half of last season, under then-coach Rafa Benitez, he saw very little playing time. He made just six appearances in all competitions, totaling only 84 minutes on the pitch. It seems that the arrival of a new coach and his impressive performances in pre-season have completely transformed his status at the club.
Before joining Panathinaikos, Jagušić shone for Slaven Belupo from Koprivnica. For that club, he made 67 appearances, scored 16 goals, and provided 10 assists. His transfer to Greece was one of the biggest in the history of the Koprivnica club. According to Index.hr, Slaven Belupo received a fee of around €5.2 million, an additional €800,000 in bonuses, and 20 percent of any future sale of the player. Jagušić's current market value, according to Transfermarkt, is €5 million.
At the time of publication, the match was still in progress.
