Panichelli’s stunning overhead kick in the Conference League | OneFootball

On Thursday afternoon, Racing Strasbourg avoided embarrassment and salvaged a draw at the Stade de la Meinau during the second matchday of the UEFA Conference League group stage. The French side, one of the top teams in Ligue 1, was losing to Polish side Jagiellonia after a goal by Dušan Stojinovič, but Joaquín Panichelli, who came on in the second half, earned the hosts a draw with a spectacular bicycle kick. Valentín Barco also saw minutes in the second half.

The team managed by Liam Rosenior fielded mostly substitutes, saving their starters to continue competing for the top spots in the domestic league. However, despite their footballing superiority, they couldn’t break the deadlock on the scoreboard. To make matters worse, they were caught off guard at the start of the second half when Dušan Stojinovič won a set piece in the box and put the visitors ahead.

As the minutes passed, several starters came on and the equalizer arrived: a cross to the far post, Guéla Doué headed it back into the middle, and Joaquín Panichelli pulled off a spectacular acrobatic move after the ball had gone past him and, with a bicycle kick, brought Racing Strasbourg level. The late attempts weren’t enough, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Panichelli, from River’s Reserve to Goal Scorer in France

In the midst of a dream spell in France, Joaquín Panichelli once again spoke about River, the club that developed him and that, in his own words, “is the greatest there is in Argentina”. In an interview with Radio La Red, the Racing Strasbourg striker admitted that he dreams of returning to the Millonario one day.

“I can only thank River because I wanted to leave; there were a lot of players in my position. At some point, I’d like to go back—who wouldn’t?” he said. At 23, Panichelli is living the best moment of his career. He also commented on his arrival in France: “Coming to Strasbourg finally convinced me that I am a professional footballer. Financially, I’m more comfortable, with a few more luxuries and able to bring my family over,” he shared emotionally.

His story with River began in the youth divisions, after having played in Boca’s youth categories. In Núñez, he shared the reserve squad with players like Miguel Borja, Lucas Beltrán, and Matías Suárez, but he never made his first-team debut. “I’m grateful because River allowed me to be where I am now. I don’t see it as revenge, but it would be nice to go back,” he added.

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