And the Bayer 04 attack can expect to come up against a very strong defence in the team from the Greek capital: Panathinaikos did not concede in the goalless draw in the friendly against the English club Watford or in the 1-0 win against Al-Duhail from Qatar.
And the team under head coach Ivan Jovanovic had the best defence in the Super League last term (along with champions Olympiacos) with only 26 goals conceded in 36 matches. While that "only" meant fourth place in the Greek top-flight for the team from the capital, Panathinaikos did secure a title last season: They won the domestic cup competition in the middle of May with a 1-0 win in the final against PAOK Thessaloniki.
The core of the Panathinaikos team is formed by Greek players like captain Dimitrios Kourbelis who is in his sixth season with the 20-time Greek champions. Probably the biggest talent in the PAOK squad, homegrown player Sotiris Alexandropoulos, plays alongside the skipper in midfield.
The Greek players line up alongside teammates from other countries in southern Europe: Goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli is Italian, left-back Xavier is Portuguese, central defender Zvonimir Sarlija comes from Croatia and four other players are Spanish.
Panathinaikos and Bayer 04 have played each other in competitive matches in the past: In the Round of 16 in the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1993/94, the Black and Reds lost 2-1 in the first leg but went through to the next round with a 4-1 victory over the Greeks in the second leg.
New signing Miguel Gutiérrez arrives in Leverkusen having won the Champions League, the Spanish league title and an Olympic gold medal. However, the 25-year-old Spaniard, signed from Napoli, is looking to the future – he wants to write the next chapter of success with the Werkself. Bayer04.de takes a closer look at the skilful, attack-minded left-back, who will wear the number 3 jersey.
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The Werkself's training camp in Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog you'll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day three (Tuesday 4 August) begins with a thorough open session on the pitch. After lunch, some players have media engagements at the team hotel, and then the team come together for a barbecue in the evening.
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Nine matches against teams from nine countries, two penalty shoot-outs won, and encounters that went far beyond football: As with last year, the Inklusionswerkself enjoyed an extraordinary week at the Genuine Cup 2026 in Houston, USA, and made memories that will last a lifetime. This year, the Leverkusen side took part as Germany’s official representatives and, accordingly, took to the pitch in Germany kit. Together with 53 teams from 53 nations, the Black and Reds once again sent a powerful message of inclusion and participation – and also impressed on the pitch by winning their group.
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The Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog, you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. The programme for day two (Monday, 3 August) centres on two training sessions – one in the morning (open to the public) and one in the early evening (behind closed doors) – at the nearby training grounds. In the afternoon, fans can look forward to a big fan meet-up with club legend Paulo Sergio at Schloss Blankenhain.
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