Dessers ends goal drought to inspire Panathinaikos comeback against Iraklis

Cyriel Dessers returned to the scoresheet on Sunday, helping Panathinaikos recover from an early setback before a dramatic finish secured their Greek Super League victory.

Dessers brings Panathinaikos level

Panathinaikos fell behind in the 17th minute when Pedro Marques scored for Iraklis in their Round 10 encounter at Kaftanzoglio Ethniko Stadio.

The visitors struggled to find an equaliser before half-time but responded after the restart, with Dessers combining with Giorgos Kyriakopoulos to make it 1-1 in the 56th minute.

The goal was the Nigerian striker's first since October 25, when he scored the winner in a 1-0 victory over NFC Volos.

Dessers played 84 minutes before being replaced by Elmin Rastoder as Panathinaikos continued pushing for a winner.

Nigerian striker reaches 10-goal mark

The 31-year-old has now scored 10 goals in 15 appearances across all competitions this season.

Four of those goals came in eight Greek Super League appearances, while the other six came in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Panathinaikos eventually completed their comeback in stoppage time, with Davide Calabria converting a 94th-minute penalty to secure a 2-1 victory.

The result extended the Greens' unbeaten run to eight matches across all competitions as they continued their push in the Greek Super League.

Despite his improved scoring form, Dessers was not included in Nigeria's squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Tanzania.