Essien’s Panathinaikos suffer defeat

Ghanaian midfielder Michael Essien finally made his debut for Panathinaikos on Saturday during a top-flight league clash with Iraklis, four months after the enforcer joined the Greek giants.

The former Chelsea star's Panathinaikos debut was however not on a happy note as his maiden official match appearance for the Greek club ended in defeat, beaten 1-0 by Iraklis.

The injury-cursed powerhouse midfielder showed no signs of injuries during the match with Iraklis as he played the entire duration of the game without fearing venturing into crucial tackles.

His power in midfield was something his opponents struggled to contain which shows he has regained his full strength.

With his maiden appearance successful and now behind him, the Ghana international will be seeking to play more matches for the Greek side.

Essien joined Panathinaikos as a free agent in the summer with high hopes from supporters of the Greek side after the midfielder was released by Italian giants AC Milan.

However serious knee injuries prevented him from making his debut with Panathinaikos not keen on rushing to give him playing time.