Panathinaikos will host Chelsea tonight at 19:45, Greek time, at the Olympic Stadium of Athens (OAKA) for the second round of the UEFA Conference League group stage.
This much-anticipated match marks Panathinaikos’ return to facing high-calibre European opponents after several years, with the Greens eager to prove themselves against Premier League giants Chelsea.
The atmosphere at OAKA is expected to be electric, as thousands of Panathinaikos fans are set to fill the stadium, hoping to witness a memorable performance from their team. Diego Alonso's squad comes into the match on a high note, following a recent domestic victory over OFI. Despite some defensive changes in the lineup, the team's goal is to be competitive and potentially upset Chelsea, who are widely regarded as one of the favorites to win the competition.
Key player Andraz Sporar is fit and available for Panathinaikos, although they will be missing Fotis Ioannidis and Philip Max due to injuries.
On the other side, Chelsea will be looking to bounce back from their recent defeat to Liverpool at Anfield. A victory in Athens would simplify the English club's path to advancing from the group stage. However, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will have to cope with several key absences, as the team arrived in Greece without Moisés Caicedo, Nicolas Jackson, Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto, and Reece James.
Panathinaikos’ squad for the game includes: Dragowski, Lodygin, Lilo, Vagiannidis, Schenkeveld, Ounahi, Sporar, Tete, Bakasetas, Ingason, Cerin, Mancini, Maksimovic, Jedvaj, Mladenovic, Kotsiras, Pellistri, Jeremejeff, and Arao.
Chelsea, despite their injuries, remain strong favourites, but Panathinaikos will aim to take advantage of home support and create a thrilling European football night at OAKA.