Rising to the occasion following mediocre domestic form, Panathinaikos earned a 1-1 draw against Fenerbahce in a second round, first-leg UEFA Cup tie in Istanbul last night, the first clash between Greek and Turkish teams in European club competition.

The game, attended by leading government ministers from both nations as part of efforts to improve Greek-Turkish relations, was, however, marred by some violence in the stands.

Panathinaikos, playing before a capacity home crowd at the Sokro Saraeoglu Stadium, stood firm and stunned locals by opening the scoring with a tremendous low drive from 30 meters by team captain Angelos Basinas in the 15th minute. A pair of defensive errors opened the way for the home side’s equalizer from Brazilian Washington right before half time.

Greece’s other UEFA Cup representative, PAOK, beat Swiss side Grasshoppers 2-1, at home, later last night. Return legs for both ties are scheduled for November 14.