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UEFA Champions League: Unheralded Udinese ready for Europe's biggest stage [Thu Sep 15th, 2005]
Rome (AFP) - Udinese make their debut in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League at home to Greek side Panathinaikos.
Having overcome Sporting Lisbon in the third qualifying round, the unheralded team from Italy's northeast corner clinched a place in European football's premier competition for the very first time.
With Spanish giants Barcelona and Germany's Werder Bremen making up Group C, Udinese face a monumental task to go beyond the first round but their coach Serse Cosmi is quietly confident of reaching the knockout stages.
He said: "There are no easy games in the Champions League but having beaten Sporting Lisbon, who reached the UEFA Cup final last season, I believe we are on a par with Panathinaikos and Werder Bremen. I don't believe they are better than Sporting.
"We may be playing in the competition for the first time, but no team should underestimate us."
Panathinaikos, appearing in the group stages for the seventh time, reached the semi-finals 10 seasons ago but have since struggled to make an impact.
Last season they finished a point behind Arsenal and PSV Eindhoven in their group, and might have progressed to the knockout stages had they not conceded a late equaliser at Rosenborg.
Udinese have previously played in the less prestigious UEFA Cup and have faced Greek clubs twice.
In 2000/01 they played PAOK Salonika in the second round, winning the home leg 1-0 but losing by the same score in Greece. The match required extra time and the Greeks then scored twice to win 3-0 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate.
Last season Udinese met Panionios in the first round for the right to join the group stage and lost 3-2 on aggregate.
Panathinaikos, coached by an Italian, Alberto Malesani, have met an Italian team only once before in the Champions League, in the 2000/01 season when they played Juventus in the first group stage.
Juventus beat the Greeks 2-1 in Turin but Panathiniakos won the home leg 3-1 to qualify for the next stage and ensure the Italian side finished bottom of the group.
Udinese go into the match full of confidence, having won their first two Serie A matches which sees them share the lead with Livorno and Livorno at the top of the table.
Panathinaikos have taken just one point from their first two league matches and are lying in 12th position.
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