The 2024/25 Europa League is still in the qualifying stages: there is still a long, long way to go before reaching the final, which will be played on May 21, 2025 in Bilbao.
The tournament features continental heavyweights such as Athletic Bilbao, Manchester United, Real Sociedad, Tottenham, Lazio, Lyon, Porto, Roma and Fenerbahce, among others, who all enter from the league phase onwards.
Several clubs are also be able to qualify for the group stage, with 12 additional spots up for grabs. And one of those qualifying matches was decided in an incredible way in the Netherlands on Thursday.
Ajax and Panathinaikos have history in Europe — they met in the European Cup final in 1971 — but their latest meeting was arguably far more memorable.
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Record-breaking penalty shootout decides Europa League tie
Thursday's game saw a historic penalty shootout, which produced a record in UEFA continental tournaments and ended in Ajax's favour.
The Dutch side had won the first leg 1-0 in Greece, but lost 1-0 at home in the return thanks to a goal from the Brazilian Tete in the 89th minute.
After 30 minutes of extra time, the match was still level and so went to penalty kicks — with an incredible 34 shots from the spot being needed, 17 from each team, until Ajax won 13-12 .
The first five attempts each had one missed, with Brian Brobbey missing with Ajax's chance to make it 5-4. There were then three instances where Panathinaikos missed and then Ajax did the same — including Brobbey's second missed penalty — until Anton Gaeei managed to score the final 13-12.
The eventual hero was Ajax goalkeeper Remko Pasveer, who at 40 years old saved five times and also scored his own attempt. Pasveer had not played a single match in the 2023/24 season for the club.
The shootout broke the Europa League record from a clash between Irish side Shamrock Rovers and Finnish team Ilves Tampere, which saw 26 spot-kicks. Shamrock Rovers eventually won that tie 12-11 in 2020.
Ajax will now face Jagiellonia Bialystok in the final qualifying round of the Europa League.