Panathinaikos vs Chelsea: 3 things to look out for

Up next for Chelsea is a UEFA Conference League fixture against Panathinaikos. The Blues will be looking to build on their strong start in the competition, following a 4-2 win over Gent at Stamford Bridge. This will mark their first visit to Greece since their 2018 encounter against PAOK in the Europa League, a competition they eventually won.

Things to Look Out For

1. Bouncing Back

Chelsea have had a frustrating couple of matches on either side of the international break. A 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge was followed by a narrow 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield. These results have seen Enzo Maresca’s side drop to sixth in the Premier League standings.

Despite the underwhelming results, Chelsea’s performances have been promising. Both games were decided by individual moments rather than team efforts. Still, the overall approach under Maresca has given fans reasons to be optimistic. However, with expectations high, a victory is crucial as they head into the match against Panathinaikos in a competition Chelsea are tipped to win, given their strength and pedigree compared to other teams.

Panathinaikos, who drew their opening game of the competition away to Borac, will be eager to secure their first win at home against a major club. Although this will be Chelsea’s first meeting with the Athens-based side, the city holds a special place in their history—Athens is where Chelsea lifted their first European trophy in 1971, defeating Real Madrid in a replay to win the Cup Winners' Cup.

2. Line-ups

Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana missed the Liverpool match due to suspensions for accumulating five yellow cards. While Fofana is not included in Chelsea’s Conference League squad for the group stages, Cucurella will be available for selection. Renato Veiga, who has started in Chelsea’s cup games so far, was a second-half substitute against Liverpool. It will be interesting to see if Maresca opts to start Cucurella midweek with big Premier League fixtures on the horizon.

Reece James, who made his first appearance of the season with a 45-minute outing at Anfield, is fit but likely to remain on the bench. His availability, however, allows Maresca to stop deploying Axel Disasi as a makeshift right-back, with both James and Malo Gusto now fit.

The attacking quartet of Christopher Nkunku, Mykhailo Mudryk, Joao Felix, and Pedro Neto, who started against Gent, is expected to feature in Athens as well. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Cesare Casadei are likely to continue in midfield, although Maresca could opt to bring Enzo Fernandez on in the second half. Romeo Lavia, who made his return on Sunday, is also not part of the Conference League group-stage squad.

3. Filip Jorgensen’s Performance

One player set to start on Thursday is goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen. Many eyes will be on the Danish shot-stopper, and if he delivers a solid performance, the calls for him to replace Robert Sanchez as first-choice could grow louder. Sanchez, whose mistake led to Liverpool’s winning goal, has been inconsistent this season. After impressive performances against Bournemouth and West Ham, he gifted Brighton two goals, followed by a solid showing against Nottingham Forest, before faltering at Anfield.

Sanchez has struggled to be the reliable presence Chelsea needs in goal. While capable of good saves, his lapses in concentration make him a liability. At the top level, goalkeepers are expected to win their team points through crucial saves, and Sanchez’s inconsistency could prove costly in the long run.

Jorgensen, only 22 years old, has just one season of top-level football under his belt, but Chelsea saw enough potential to sign him in the summer. If he can make the most of his chances, especially with Sanchez’s struggles, Jorgensen could make a serious case for the No. 1 spot at Chelsea.