Panathinaikos vs Chelsea LIVE SCORE: Latest Conference League updates as Blues look to continue perfect start in Europe

Panathinaikos stats

Panathinaikos are sixth in the Greek Superleague table after three wins and two losses in their first eight league matches.

Diego Alonso’s side have scored a mere seven goals and conceded a whopping six.

PAO picked up a 0-0 shock draw at Borac in their first ever Conference League match three weeks ago.

That means the Greek giants now sit 19th in the League Phase table.

Panathinaikos formation

Panathinaikos manager Diego Alonso has chosen a 4-2-3-1 formation for this emotional match.

Bartlomiej Dragowski starts in goal with Giannis Kotsiras at right-back and Filip Mladenovic on the other side, while Tin Jedvaj and captain Bart Schenkeveld team up at centre-back.

Adam Cerin and Nemanja Maksimovic link up in midfield with Azzedine Ounahi at No10.

Daniel Mancini covers the right flank with Facundo Pellistri on the other side, while Alexander Jeremejeff spearheads the attack.

Chelsea formation

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca appears to have opted for a 4-3-3 formation for his heavily rotated line-up against Panathinaikos.

Filip Jorgensen starts in goal with Renato Veiga at right-back and Marc Cucurella on the other hand, while Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi team up at centre-back.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Joao Felix and captain Enzo Fernandez link up in midfield.

Pedro Neto, Mykhailo Mudryk and Christopher Nkunku spearhead the attack.

Panathinaikos subs

Lodygin, Lilo, Vagiannidis, Sporar, Tete, Bakasetas, Ingason, Fikaj, Bregou, Duricic, Arao, Dabizas

Chelsea subs

Sanchez, Bergstrom, Tosin, Madueke, Chukwuemeka, Sancho, Casadei, George, Guiu, Rak-Sakyi, Mheuka

Panathinaikos XI

Drągowski, Schenkeveld, Ounahi, Cerin, Mancini, Maksimovic, Jedvaj, Mladenovic, Kotsiras, Pellistri, Jeremejeff

Chelsea XI

Jorgensen, Disasi, Cucurella, Badiashile, Neto, Fernandez, Mudryk, Felix, Nkunku, Dewsbury-Hall, Veiga

Chelsea stats

Chelsea completed a whopping 92.6 per cent of successful passes in their first ever Conference League match against Gent three weeks ago at Stamford Bridge.

That was the highest return of all matchday one teams in that category.

The Blues defeated Gent that night with a score of 4-2, which led them to sixth place in the League Phase table.

Tonight marks the West Londoners’ first ever away match in the competition against an opponent they never faced before.

Head to Head

This is the first ever time Panathinaikos and Chelsea face off throughout their entire history.

The Blues become the sixth English club PAO meet after 18 matches against the likes of Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United.

The Athens giants only beat the Gunners and lost 11 of the other games against everyone bar the Toffees.

Chelsea are set to face their fourth Greek opponent after Olympiacos, Aris and PAOK, all of which they met on two occasions each.

The West Londoners count four wins and no losses across all competitions.

Good afternoon from Athens

Welcome to SunSport’s live blog coverage of the Conference League clash between Panathinaikos and Chelsea at Athens Olympic Stadium (OAKA) in the League Phase – Kostas here, and I will be bringing you all the action from Greece.

The Blues pose as the strongest favourites to win this European competition, which would seal a hat-trick of continental trophies after conquering the Champions League and Europa League in recent years.

However, the West Londoners will have to do it without Marcus Bettinelli, Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell, Romeo Lavia and star man Cole Palmer at least during the first round as they have been omitted from the squad list.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has also travelled to Athens without Levi Colwill, Reece James, Malo Gusto, Moises Caicedo and Nicolas Jackson.who stayed in London to rest ahead of Sunday’s crunch Premier League clash with Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.

Panathinaikos manager Diego Alonso, on the other hand, is without Dimitris Limnios, Zeca, Tonny Vilhena, Erik Palmer-Brown, Hordur Magnusson, Ruben Perez, Alexis Trouillet, Lazlo Kleinheisler and Benjamin Verbic who are ineligible after missing out on the squad list.

Alonso is also deprived of Philipp Max who is nursing a sprain and star striker Fotis Ioannidis who has been sidelined with an adductor injury.

However the Uruguayan tactician has been given a boost with Andraz Sporar passing fit in time after overcoming a knock.

Nevertheless, PAO are in a time of mourning after the sudden death of star player George Baldock who tragically died two weeks ago.