UEFA Cup: Group B: Athletico Madrid vs. Panathinaikos

This is one game I am dying to see. Both sides are playing brilliant, attacking football at the moment and both would do anything to finish this group stage at the top and avoid some difficult opponents later on.

Athletico Madrid are on something of a roll at the moment and can’t really do anything wrong. They are third in the league for the first time in years (normally at this time of the year they are engrossed in a relegation battle) and have now gone eight games unbeaten, a run which includes six consecutive wins. At the weekend they dropped two points away to Recreativo, but still managed to keep a clean sheet. Their defense, which earlier on in the season was leaking goals all over the place, has seen a great improvement which has played an important role in their new found success. During their eight game unbeaten run they have also managed to keep the number of goals conceded down to four, and three of those came in the four-three home win over Villarreal. They now have to show Greek team Panathinaikos that they can transfer their league form to the UEFA competition. The 2004 Greek champions are also third in their current league (which is made up of sixteen teams as opposed to the twenty clubs in Spain), and have conceded just five goals all season (twelve games). Curiously, their ten match unbeaten run ended on Saturday with a one nil away defeat to modest Panionios, which might well effect their morale.

As both teams have already qualified for the next round of the competition, there will be fewer nerves on show and more room for some good football. I’m backing Athletico Madrid for this one. Playing at home gives them a great advantage and with the defense now playing as well as their superb strikers and can’t see the Greek outfit stopping them. I doubt though if there will be that many goals, as Panathinaikos have a very good back four.

Prediction: Home win (2-1)