Tonight Chelsea will face Panathinaikos in a UEFA conference league match. It will be an important match for Enzo Maresca and his players. On the other side, Panathinaikos is one of the best clubs in Greece. So, it will be a feisty fixture between the two clubs.
At this moment, Enzo Maresca has found a stable team out of the turmoil. No one expected that the Blues would be lurking nearby the top four spots of the English Premier League. So far, Enzo Maresca has done his job brilliantly. Before establishing a permanent squad, he got rid of a couple of fringe players. The list includes Raheem Sterling, Trevor Chalobah, and Conor Gallagher.
Predicted Chelsea lineup
We are expecting that Christopher Nkunku will start in the number nine position. Pedro Neto and Mykhailo Mudryk will be joining him as right- and left-wingers, respectively. In the last conference league match, Mudryk shined on the left flank. Every Chelsea fan is hoping that he will score tonight. On the other hand, Jadon Sancho had a bad game against Liverpool. So, this game might be a turning point for the Ukrainian winger.
On the other hand, Pedro Neto is slowly adapting to the environment at Chelsea. Sooner or later, he will be an invaluable asset for the Blues.
In the number ten position, Joao Felix will pull the strings from the middle. He is such a threat to every opponent. The Portuguese can quickly change a match with his tricks. In the match against Gent, we saw a beautiful lofted ball from the feet of Joao Felix. These things give an extra edge to any team.
In the midfield, we are expecting Cesare Casadei to start alongside former Leicester City man Kiernan Dewsbury Hall. On the other hand, Enzo Maresca has Romeo Lavia as a better midfield option as the Belgian prodigy has recovered from injury. Maresca can use the partnership of Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile in the backline. Every Chelsea fan is expecting a clean sheet against Panathinaikos.
We can say that Renato Veiga has made his position permanent in the left-back position. After his master-class performances, the Chelsea fans are extremely happy to see him play for their club. We are hoping Recce James will start in the right-back position. He has recovered from his injury and can play for 45 minutes. Till now, he has missed a lot of games for Chelsea, and the Blues need him for his experience and leadership role.
According to SBnation, Filip Jorgensen might be unavailable for this match as the Danish goalkeeper suffered an injury during the international break. So, Robert Sanchez will be the most likely option of Maresca.
Match prediction
Tonight all eyes will be on Enzo Maresca and his team. We all know that the Italian tactician has established a ball possession-based football. But the main point is scoring goals. The UEFA Conference League is an important tournament for Chelsea.
There is no doubt that Chelsea will dominate Panathinaikos. There will be moments where Chelsea can hurt their opponent, but they have to take those chances. Chelsea can win this UEFA Conference league match with a scoreline of 4-0, where Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku both will put their names in the scoresheet.
The Blues have stayed under shadows for too long. Now it’s time for them to win silverware. Chelsea have the most valuable squad in this tournament. So, they have the capability to win this title.
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