Defiant Panathinaikos star tells Rangers ‘see you in Greece' as he vows tie ISN'T done yet
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IT was a result to forget for Panathinaikos and their fans in Glasgow on Tuesday night as goals from Findlay Curtis and Djeidi Gassama left them with a mountain to climb in the second leg.
But Greek new boy Pedro Chirivella for one insists the Champions League second qualifying round tie is far from over.
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Max Aarons of Rangers controls the ball whilst under pressure from Pedro Chirivella
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Panathinaikos' fans light flares a
Credit: AFP
In fairness, the Gers needed a couple of fine saves from Jack Butland to go in at half time goalless after a first half where the Greeks played most of the football.
And former Liverpool star Chirivella - who worked under Brendan Rodgers and Steven Gerrard - is in no doubt that it will be a different match in the Olympic stadium in Greece next Wednesday.
Sharing pictures of himself in action, he wrote on X: "Not done yet. See you in Oaka [Athens Olympic Stadium}."
If the Greeks are to play their way back into this one, they'll have to do it without star man Georgios Vagiannidis after his sending off.
To be fair Russell Martin knows fine well that his side have plenty of work to do in the second match - with a tie against Servette or Viktoria Plzen waiting in the next round.
It's the Swiss who are in the box seat in that one but there's still the doomsday scenario of Benfica or Club Brugge waiting in the play-off round if the Gers can get that far.
Martin said: 'It's nowhere near finished.
"Next week will be a different game, different atmosphere and we need to be ready.
"We'll be much better for this.
"We had a few sticky moments against a really good team, but I was really proud of the players for getting through it.
Rangers fans unfurl giant tifo ahead of Russell Martin's first match
'Findlay [Curtis] embodied us — first half a bit tense, but he has so much character that he got his reward.
'He got some words of wisdom from Sir Alex Ferguson afterwards and you can't ask for more than that."
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