PAOK seeking upset victory in London to keep Europa League campaign alive
UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 5
| Chelsea | 22:00 GR | PAOK |
|---|---|---|
| 29-Nov, Thu |
PAOK will be searching for an upset victory in London on Thursday night, in order to keep their slim hopes of qualifying for the knockout phase of the UEFA Europa League alive. AGONAsport’s Athan Stylos previews the crucial encounter.
Competition favourites, Chelsea, will be looking to continue their perfect record at home on Thursday night as they face a PAOK side who has everything to play for. Chelsea currently sit on top of Group L, having recorded four wins from four matches and only need one point from their remaining two fixtures to secure their passage to the round of 32 of the competition. However, Blues manager Maurizio Sarri will be searching for a response from his players following their horrid 3:1 loss to Tottenham over the weekend, their first loss under new Italian manager since their FA Community Shield defeat to Manchester City.
Following PAOK’s two dismal losses to Hungarian outfit Vidi, a loss in London could see the Greek Super League leaders knocked out of the competition. Their European campaign is on the line, as they will need to pull off an upset in order to better their chances of progression to the round of 32 alive. A concern for club is their inability to match their league form in the Europa League, something that will need to be sorted out immediately ahead of Thursday’s difficult fixture.
The Thessalonikis will also keep an eye on the group’s other fixture where BATE Borisov host Vidi. If the Hungarians win, they will clinch a place in the last 32 regardless of what PAOK do in London. A draw between Vidi and BATE means PAOK must defeat Chelsea to stay alive in the hunt for second, whereas a Vidi defeat will keep PAOK mathematically alive going into the final matchday, regardless of PAOK’s result at Stamford Bridge (even if PAOK lose).
Domestically, PAOK comfortably defeated Xanthi 2:0 at home with star striker, Aleksandar Prijovic, and Brazilian midfielder, Maurício, finding the back of the net. The victory leaves PAOK 5 points clear on top of the league ahead of second placed Atromitos.
The Thessalonikis will have strong support in London as they have sold out their 2300 away tickets allocated to the club. However, sources suggest that 5,000 PAOK supporters are heading to London from Greece for the match.
TEAM NEWS: CHELSEA
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has hinted that he will likely make changes to the line-up on Thursday night, due to the fact that his side has to play 10 matches in the month of December.
Victor Moses has been ruled out with a back injury, while star attacker Eden Hazard will also miss the clash after suffering a sprained ankle.
Possible line-up: Arrizabalaga, Zappacosta, Cahill, Christensen, Emerson, Fabregas, Loftus-Cheek, Barkley, Willian, Pedro, Giroud
TEAM NEWS: PAOK
Coming into the clash, there have been reports suggesting that Fernando Varela, Omar El Kaddouri, and Maurício are doubtful, however Lucescu dismissed the reports in his press-conference yesterday, stating that all players that travelled to London are fit to play.
Possible line-up: Paschalakis, Matos, Varela, Crespo, Vieirinha, Wernbloom, Mauricio, Pelkas, Biseswar, Limnios, Prijovic
REFEREE: KRISTO TOHVER (EST)
37-year-old, Kristo Tohver, has been appointed to referee the encounter at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night. The Estonian has been a FIFA listed referee since 2010, having officiated the 2011 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championships, and qualifiers for other junior-level UEFA competitions, including the 2013 UEFA Under-21 championship. Tohver has now become a regular official in the UEFA Europa League.
Referee: Kristo Tohver (EST)
Assistant referees: Silver Koiv (EST), Aron Harsing (EST)
Additional assistant referees: Juri Frischer (EST), Eiko Saar (EST)
Fourth official: Jaan Roos (EST)
