After three months out, former Benfica star shines in the Europa League | OneFootball

The Portuguese international and former Benfica player - who made a last-minute demand -, Renato Sanches, was included in the starting lineup for Panathinaikos, in their away match against Ferencváros (1-1), where he played for 74 minutes. The last time he started a game was on October 29, 2025, his second start of the season, before a prolonged injury (he returned to action in 2026).

Regarding the game itself, while the Portuguese player was still on the field, the Hungarians took the lead in the 62nd minute through a penalty by Dele. After the midfielder's departure, the Greeks equalized just minutes before the end (86'): Calabria assisted Zaroury.

This goal allowed the former team of Rui Vitória, to secure a spot in the UEFA Europa League play-off, with one match still to play. Meanwhile, their opponent this Thursday needed the three points to finish in the top-8 but remains in the fight.

Currently, the team led by Rafa Benítez is in 19th place in the standings, with 11 points. With the result achieved in Hungary, Panathinaikos thus records their second consecutive draw in the European competition.

The next game for the Greeks in the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 is scheduled for Thursday, January 29, against Roma. The match will take place at 20:00 (Athens, Greece time) — which corresponds to 19:00 in Portugal — at the Olympic Athletic Center of Athens “Spyros Louis”. This encounter will be the 8th matchday, thus closing the league phase of the competition.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.