Pardew made nine changes from the starting XI which faced Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, with only Papiss Demba Cisse and James Perch keeping their place in the side.
Adam Campbell, Vurnon Anita, Gael Bigirimana and Romain Amalfitano all made their debuts in draining 36 degree heat at the Peristeri Stadium.
Alan Pardew: “It was a learning curve for most, but not for Anita – he’s used to it.
“He and (Sylvain) Marveaux were the pick of the bunch, but in terms of the team overall, I’m really happy.
“Willo (Williamson) put in a captain’s performance, and there were so many positives.
“I think Tav was at fault for the first goal – he just got caught out in that lull.
“In Europe you can thank think that these continental teams are not really threatening you, and you switch off and they hit you.
“We’ll learn from that. I thought it was a learning experience for them.
“It’s only half-time. I’ve had a lot of two-legged games in my career, mainly in the play-offs in the Championship.
“But this is the perfect result. You want to take an away goal to your home patch – and then hopefully win.”