UEFA Europa League
AEK Athens vs Leicester City
13:55 ET
With several members of his squad sustaining injuries and surprise home defeats coming against West Ham United and Aston Villa, the start of the season has not been as smooth as Brendan Rodgers would have hoped.
However, back-to-back wins over Zorya and Arsenal without conceding a goal has lifted the mood at Leicester, who now sit in fourth position in the Premier League table. Rodgers will prioritise their progress in England's top flight over the Europa League, but that will not stop the Northern Irishman demanding another professional performance later this week.
Despite only claiming third place in the Greek Superliga in the past two seasons, AEK Athens would have been optimistic about having a prolonged run in this competition when they discovered their opponents for the group stages.
Losing heavily to Braga may have changed their belief, however, and head coach Massimo Carrera will acknowledge that the club can ill-afford another defeat at this stage. Nevertheless, AEK have been poor of late, with their only victory in four matches coming by a 1-0 scoreline at PAS Giannina on Sunday.
Carrera will understandably be concerned about the development of his side since their famous win over Wolfsburg in the final qualifying round, but that result is a reminder that they have the quality to compete with higher-class opponents on their day.
However, back-to-back wins over Zorya and Arsenal without conceding a goal has lifted the mood at Leicester, who now sit in fourth position in the Premier League table. Rodgers will prioritise their progress in England's top flight over the Europa League, but that will not stop the Northern Irishman demanding another professional performance later this week.
Despite only claiming third place in the Greek Superliga in the past two seasons, AEK Athens would have been optimistic about having a prolonged run in this competition when they discovered their opponents for the group stages.
Losing heavily to Braga may have changed their belief, however, and head coach Massimo Carrera will acknowledge that the club can ill-afford another defeat at this stage. Nevertheless, AEK have been poor of late, with their only victory in four matches coming by a 1-0 scoreline at PAS Giannina on Sunday.
Carrera will understandably be concerned about the development of his side since their famous win over Wolfsburg in the final qualifying round, but that result is a reminder that they have the quality to compete with higher-class opponents on their day.