PAOK Salonika vs. Chelsea: Odds, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info for Europa Match

Chelsea begin their 2018-19 UEFA Europa League campaign with a trip to Greece to face PAOK Salonika on Thursday.

PAOK have never lost to English opposition, while the Blues are yet to taste defeat against a Greek team, so something has to give at the Stadio Toumba in Thessaloniki.

The Premier League side have made a superb start to the season under manager Maurizio Sarri.

They have won all five of their league games and have moved top of the table on goal difference.

PAOK also boast a 100 per cent record after three games in the Greek Superleague.

Date: Thursday, September 20

Time: 5:55 p.m. (BST), 12:55 p.m. (ET)

Odds: PAOK Salonika win: 16-5, Chelsea win: 17-20, Draw: 5-2

Live Stream: BT Sport App (UK), B/R Live (U.S.)

TV: BT Sport 2 (UK)

Odds via Oddschecker

Chelsea are back in the Europa League after finishing a disappointing fifth in the Premier League last season.

While the Blues may be disappointed to have missed out on the UEFA Champions League, they can take comfort in the knowledge they won the Europa League the last time they played in the competition in 2013.

Sarri has said he will make changes to his team for Thursday's game and will rotate some of his key players, per Goal's Nizaar Kinsella. 

"Hazard or Pedro will rest on Thursday," he said. "[Ruben] Loftus-Cheek has a little problem with the right tibia. You saw today he wasn't able to play, but I hope he can recover in the next two or three days."

Striker Alvaro Morata will return in attack in place of Olivier Giroud, who featured in Saturday's 4-1 win over Cardiff City, per Kinsella.

Chelsea can expect a warm welcome at PAOK. Dugout showed what to expect from the hosts' stadium:

The Greek side finished as runners-up in the league last season and won the Greek Cup, but they failed to reach the Champions League group stage after being knocked out by Benfica in the play-offs.

PAOK strengthened in the summer by bringing in several players, including Chuba Akpom from Arsenal and Pontus Wernbloom from CSKA Moscow.

Despite their good start to the season, they conceded five goals over two legs to Benfica, which should give Chelsea confidence they can up open their Group L campaign with a victory.