Borac Banja Luka face a major European challenge as they prepare to take on Panathinaikos in the opening round of the UEFA Conference League on Thursday, October 15, at 6:45 p.m.
The Greek side have enjoyed an impressive start to the season, remaining unbeaten until last weekend, when their winning streak came to an end in a derby defeat against Olympiacos.
Panathinaikos successfully navigated Conference League qualifying, eliminating Hungarian side Paks, CSKA Sofia and Czech club Hradec before recording seven consecutive victories in domestic competitions.
Despite their recent defeat, the Athens club enter the encounter in considerably better form than when they faced Borac in October 2024, a match that ended in a 1–1 draw at Banja Luka’s City Stadium.
Panathinaikos typically operate in a 4-2-3-1 formation, possess considerable squad depth and rarely allow opponents clear scoring opportunities.
Juričić: Panathinaikos have exceptional individual quality
Borac striker Luka Juričić acknowledges that his team will face a difficult task against a defensively strong opponent.
“Panathinaikos are an excellent team. We know what kind of opponent awaits us at the Olympic Stadium, and we have seen their quality in recent matches,” Juričić said.
“They are a highly respected opponent who have suffered only one defeat this season, against Olympiacos in the previous round. That alone shows how good their form has been.”
Juričić particularly highlighted the quality of the Greek club’s defenders.
“They have outstanding individuals, and we certainly face a difficult challenge in attack. Just look at their center-backs, Stefan de Vrij, who has played for Inter Milan and Lazio and was a regular Netherlands international, and Rick van Drongelen. That tells you what kind of opponents we are facing,” he explained.
Borac determined not to be intimidated by Athens atmosphere
The Borac forward emphasized that his team must remain disciplined and avoid being overwhelmed by the atmosphere at the Olympic Stadium.
“We know the match will be played at the Olympic Stadium and that the Greek team enjoys passionate support from its fans. They are the clear favorites, but we are not giving up,” Juričić said.
“We have shown in the past that we can compete against very strong teams, and we will try to deliver a quality performance.”
He stressed that defensive concentration will be essential, particularly against Panathinaikos’ attacking players.
“We must be extremely careful not to leave them too much space going forward because they have exceptional individual quality. Players such as Kings Kangwa and Tete can decide a match with a single move, create an opportunity or score a goal. That is why caution is absolutely necessary,” he added.
Could Olympiacos defeat affect Panathinaikos?
According to Greek media reports, Panathinaikos’ recent defeat against Olympiacos has somewhat unsettled the team after its lengthy unbeaten run.
Juričić believes Borac must be prepared to take advantage of any uncertainty in the home side’s performance.
“We will see how they respond and whether that defeat has affected them. They have an experienced team, but perhaps it could disrupt their rhythm after such a long unbeaten streak,” he said.
“If an opportunity presents itself, we will try to take it.”
The match between Panathinaikos and Borac will kick off at 6:45 p.m. in Athens.
Hungarian referee appointed for Conference League encounter
Hungarian referee Bence Csonka will officiate the match between Panathinaikos and Borac.
The 34-year-old official has relatively limited experience in European club competitions, having entered his second season on the continental stage.
Thursday’s encounter will be only his second match in the league phase of one of UEFA’s three major club competitions.
Last season, he officiated the match between Lincoln and Sigma Olomouc.
This season, Csonka has refereed a Champions League qualifying fixture between Riga and Ararat-Armenia, as well as a match between Katowice and Žilina.
The Panathinaikos–Borac encounter is expected to represent the most significant European assignment of his refereeing career so far.
Source: Glas Srpske
