Ajax and Panathinaikos played the second longest penalty shootout in European Cup history

Yesterday, Ajax secured their place in the UEFA Europa League playoff round after a challenging victory over Greek side Panathinaikos. Despite the triumph, the win was anything but straightforward for the Amsterdam team.

Ajax had won the first leg in Greece 1-0, but in the return leg at home, Francesco Farioli's team suffered a 1-0 defeat, sending the match into extra time. With no change in the scoreline, the tie was decided by a penalty shootout.

Ajax's 40-year-old goalkeeper Remko Pasveer set the tone by saving the first penalty from Diego Mancini, giving the hosts an early advantage. However, Brian Brobbey missed the fifth penalty, which allowed Bartłomiej Drągowski to keep Panathinaikos in the game.

In the end, both teams took a staggering 17 penalties each, with Ajax emerging victorious by 13-12.

This penalty shootout is now the second-highest scoring in the history of European competitions. The record is held by Northern Ireland's Glentoran and Maltese club Gżira United, who played out a 13-14 shootout in last season's UEFA Conference League qualifiers.

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Ajax will now face Polish champions Jagiellonia for a spot in the Europa League, while Panathinaikos will compete against Lens in the Conference League playoff round.