Chelsea begin their Europa League campaign on Thursday in a clash against PAOK FC in Thessaloniki, Greece, and a strong performance is what fans will expect to put fear in remaining rivals in the group.
The Blues are clear favorites to qualify from Group L with BATE Borisov from Bulgaria and Videoton FC from Hungary, the remaining teams in the group. However, this is a cup competition and there could be surprises on the way.
It is understood that Maurizio Sarri could tinker with his team a bit to freshen up his squad and give the regular starters a deserved rest but whatever team the Italian head coach puts out on Thursday night, the Blues must win convincingly.
Just as Chelsea have managed in the Premier League, PAOK are perfect in the Greek League with three wins out of three and could offer a tough resistance to Sarri’s dominant men. Should Chelsea fail to register a big win in Greece, their vulnerability on the road may just well be exposed in the cold Thursday nights to follow in the competition and expect top sides to attempt to claim a scalp.
