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Chelsea begin their Europa League campaign at Thessaloniki against AC PAOK as Maurizio Sarri looks to continue his bright start as Blues' boss. Both teams have enjoyed perfect starts in their respective domestic leagues but the home side succumbed to Benfica's quality a few weeks back.
PAOK have won one and drawn the other fixture against English clubs, whereas Chelsea have shared the spoils with Greek sides twice in two games.
PAOK v Chelsea: Kickoff information
Date: 20 September
Time: 19:55 (local time), 22:25 (IST)
Venue: Toumba Stadium
PAOK v Chelsea: Team news
PAOK:
Former Arsenal striker Chuba Akpom is likely to come off the bench, whereas Omar El Kaddouri, who was at Napoli while Sarri was in charge, will play as a number 10.
Chelsea:
Eden Hazard and David Luiz didn't board the flight to Greece as they are to be rested. Mateo Kovacic is still struggling with a minor injury. Sarri also said that Ruben Loftus-Cheek will appear in the match, but refused to disclose if he would start. Elsewhere, the Italian will rotate his players - with the likes of Gary Cahill, Cesc Fabregas and Alvaro Morata to be back in the fold.
PAOK v Chelsea: Probable line-ups
PAOK (4-2-3-1): Paschalakis; Matos, Crespo, Varela, Freitas; Silveira Jr, Canas; Lima, El Kaddouri, Biseswar; Prijovic
Chelsea (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga; Zappacosta, Christensen, Cahill, Alonso; Loftus-Cheek, Fabregas, Barkley; Willian, Moses, Morata
PAOK v Chelsea: Form guide
Last 5 matches (in all competitions)
PAOK: W-W-L-W-D
Chelsea: W-W-W-W-W
PAOK v Chelsea: Head-to-head
This will be the first-ever meeting between these two sides in a UEFA competition.
PAOK v Chelsea: Key players
PAOK: Fans will be hoping Aleksandar Prijovic continues his fine form. He will play a high line and draw the Chelsea back line further deep, hence upsetting their usual strategy. Also to add, the former Ram is good with his head and can hold the ball well.
Chelsea:
All eyes will be on the man who, as they say, wears a magic hat. Cesc Fabregas is in line for his first appearance since picking up a knee injury. He is expected to play in the deeper role where Jorginho plays, with the midfielders on either side playing more advanced.
Much like Jorginho, the Spaniard will invite passes, keep it short and simple and enjoy space in midfield. And we all know what happens when Fabregas is given time and space to pick his passes.
PAOK v Chelsea: Prediction
Although PAOK will thrive on the warm atmosphere provided by their fans, knocking Chelsea off their perch will be quite a task. The visitors will enjoy possession but also give away a chance or two to the Greek powerhouse. Despite the prowess the hosts have, Sarri's side will prove too good for them.
Predicted score: PAOK 1-3 Chelsea
