Helmond Sport vs Panathinaikos

Panathinaikos needed only six minutes to open the scoring. A corner from the left caused chaos in the Helmond box, and Vicente Taborda pounced on the loose ball to slot home from close range — the first goal of the club's pre-season schedule.

Three minutes later, the Greek side doubled their lead. Adam Tetteh rose highest to meet a free-kick delivery from Adam Čerin, powering a header past the Helmond goalkeeper to make it 2-0 inside nine minutes.

The early blitz reflected the quality gap between the Eerste Divisie hosts and a Panathinaikos side that finished third in the Greek Super League last season. Helmond managed to steady the ship before half-time without creating clear chances.

Neestrup rang the changes at the interval, making nine substitutions while keeping only defender Abdoulaye Touba and goalscorer Taborda on the pitch. The wholesale changes temporarily disrupted the rhythm, and the second half remained goalless until the 74th minute.

That was when Santino Andino announced himself. The Argentine winger collected the ball on the right flank, cut inside and unleashed a curling effort from distance that beat the keeper at his near post — 3-0.

Andino struck again in the 85th minute. A neat build-up involving Emanuelson Camara and Pantelis Pantelidis ended with the latter's shot being blocked, but the rebound fell kindly for Andino, who swept home his second of the afternoon from inside the box to complete the 4-0 scoreline.

The match was effectively over after nine minutes. Panathinaikos' two-goal salvo inside the first 600 seconds forced Helmond into a defensive posture from which they never recovered. The early strikes gave Neestrup the freedom to rotate his entire outfield at half-time, testing fringe players without ever risking the result.

Santino Andino (Panathinaikos) — The Argentine came off the bench at half-time and scored twice in the final 16 minutes, showing sharp finishing from distance and in the box. His movement and direct running were the standout individual contributions of the second half.

Vicente Taborda (Panathinaikos) — Opened the scoring with a poacher's finish and remained on the pitch for 72 minutes, linking play effectively from the right flank. Named player of the match by the Greek club's official website.

Adam Tetteh (Panathinaikos) — Scored the early header that doubled the lead and led the line well before being withdrawn at half-time.

Panathinaikos' four goals from an interrupted pre-season rhythm speak to a significant quality gap. The Greeks registered 11 shots across the 90 minutes (per Sofascore data), with seven on target, while Helmond managed only speculative attempts from distance. The 0-0 second-half stalemate until the 74th minute reflected the disruption of nine HT substitutions, not a Helmond fightback — the hosts mustered no meaningful period of sustained pressure.

This was Panathinaikos' first pre-season friendly of the 2026-27 calendar, and the first match under manager Jacob Neestrup, who took charge ahead of the new campaign. The Greek side continues their pre-season tour of the Netherlands with a fixture against Ajax on Saturday 4 July 2026.

For Helmond Sport, who finished 13th in the Eerste Divisie last season, this was a useful fitness exercise against a higher-calibre opponent. The Dutch side are still in the early stages of their own pre-season preparations.

A routine pre-season workout exactly as the scoreline suggests. Panathinaikos were sharper, stronger and a class above from the first whistle. Andino's double off the bench is the most encouraging takeaway for Neestrup, but the real tests begin against Ajax on Saturday.