Chelsea's Conference League journey continues on Thursday with a trip to Greece to face Panathinaikos.
As is the case with any and all opposition in this competition, Chelsea are the overwhelming favourites, but this Panathinaikos side includes a number of familiar faces which have the potential to cause significant problems for what will likely be a second-string Chelsea setup.
Here are five Panathinaikos players Chelsea fans need to be aware of ahead of the game.
1. Filip Djuricic
Filip Djuricic is a name which may be familiar to fans of European football. The 32-year-old Serbian international has spent time in Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Germany and England, but took his talents to Greece in 2023.
The lanky midfielder has been handed a role as a left winger this season and has immediately seen an increase in his goal numbers. He leads Panathinaikos in both goals and assists in domestic action and is undoubtedly the danger man for his side.
With both Reece James and Malo Gusto set for rests and young Josh Acheampong frozen out over a contract dispute, Chelsea will probably field an unnatural right-back on Thursday, likely Axel Disasi. This match-up has the potential to be a tough one.
2. Azzedine Ounahi
Those who watched the 2022 World Cup will remember the emergence of midfielder Azzedine Ounahi, who dazzled for Morocco en route to the semi-final. The excitement surrounding him was huge, but his story hasn't played out as expected.
Ounahi joined Marseille in 2023 but failed to stand out and was loaned to Panathinaikos earlier this summer in an attempt to rebuild the hype he created on the biggest stage of them all.
A smart dribbler with a nice eye for a pass, we all saw what Ounahi is capable of on his day. Chelsea must hope that day is not Thursday.
3. Tete
Panathinaikos broke a two-decade old transfer record to sign Tete for around 6.5m this summer. The Brazilian winger was on the books at Galatasaray but is best known for his time with Shakhtar Donetsk, either side of spells with Lyon and Leicester City.
Still only 24 years old, Tete is an electric dribbler who has quickly settled into life in Greece, racking up five goals in all competitions to establish himself as a major threat.
Tete plays most of his minutes on the right wing and will therefore be the direct opponent for Renato Veiga, whose exciting form during the early weeks of his Chelsea career could be tested here.
4. Facundo Pellistri
Manchester United cashed in on Facundo Pellistri this summer, with Panathinaikos paying around 6m towards the end of what was an expensive summer for the Greek side.
Chelsea fans may already be familiar with 22-year-old Pellistri, who was on the books at United for four years and made 25 appearances for the Red Devils. He has experience in both the Europa League and Champions League to his name.
Pellistri is looking to reignite a stalling career, and there is perhaps no greater opportunity for him to do that this season than with a stand-out showing against Chelsea.
5. Nemanja Maksimovic
A smart pick-up on a free transfer, Nemanja Maksimovic ended a seven-year stay in Spain's top flight to join Panathinaikos this summer, immediately injecting some experience in midfield.
A box-to-box talent with a greater eye for the defensive side of things, Maksimovic has played against some of the game's top players during his time in La Liga and will undoubtedly be relied upon to help Panathinaikos live with Chelsea's big names.
If Maresca rolls out his cup midfield of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and young Cesare Casadei, he'll need to keep a keen eye on how they deal with the tough battle with Maksimovic.
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