Panathinaikos out to pressure Inter

Panathinaikos FC make their return to the UEFA Champions League after a three-year absence hoping to inflict another losing start on opponents FC Internazionale Milano.

• Inter have opened their campaign with a defeat in the last two seasons, going down 1-0 away at the start of both the last two tournaments – to Fenerbahçe SK in 2007/08 and Sporting Clube de Portugal the previous season. As a result, the Serie A champions will be on their guard when they visit the OACA Spyro Louis Stadium, where Panathinaikos have lost to Italian visitors only once out of four games in Europe's premier club tournament.

• That came in the 2005/06 group stage, the last time an Italian club visited in the competition, when Udinese Calcio won 2-1. Before that, the Greek side had defeated Juventus 3-1 in the 2000/01 first group stage, drawn 0-0 with UC Sampdoria in the 1991/92 third round and held Juve 1-1 in the 1961/62 preliminary round. In total, Panathinaikos have played host to Italian visitors eight times in UEFA club competition, winning three, drawing three and losing twice.

• Henk ten Cate's side, who are launching their eighth UEFA Champions League campaign, will be hoping to improve on their disappointing recent group-stage record. Between 2003 and 2005, they came third in their section twice and fourth once. Their best UEFA Champions League achievement to date was reaching the 1995/96 semi-finals.

• Finishing third in the Super League in 2007/08 left Panathinaikos needing to qualify for the group stage and they achieved that feat thanks to a 3-1 aggregate defeat of AC Sparta Praha. Štěpán Kučera's own goal and Mozambique international Simão put the Greek side 2-1 ahead after the away leg and Rodrigo Souza sealed their passage with the only strike of the home game a minute from time.

• In the second qualifying round, goals in Athens from Andreas Ivanschitz and two from Dimitris Salpingidis set Panathinaikos up for a comfortable aggregate victory against FC Dinamo Tbilisi. The return ended 0-0.

• After last season's disappointing UEFA Champions League experience, when he left Chelsea FC following their 1-1 home draw with Rosenborg BK on Matchday 1, new Inter coach José Mourinho will be hoping for a longer stay on Europe's top stage. A winner in 2003/04 winner with FC Porto, his first game back in the competition brings him face to face with Ten Cate, who worked at Stamford Bridge last season as an assistant to Avram Grant, the man appointed to succeed Mourinho.

• Mourinho has joined a club with a huge desire to dominate the continent as they did in 1963/64 and 1964/65, when they won back-to-back European Champion Clubs' Cups. This is the Nerazzurri's ninth attempt to win the UEFA Champions League and their sixth successive season in the group stages. Their best achievement to date came in 2002/03, when they reached the semi-finals only to lose to city rivals AC Milan, who went on to lift the trophy. In the last two seasons, Inter's hopes were extinguished in the first knockout round, while their two previous campaigns ended at the quarter-final stage.

• Liverpool FC got the better of Inter in the 2007/08 last 16, winning 2-0 at Anfield and wrapping things up with a 1-0 victory at San Siro. After losing their first group fixture, Roberto Mancini's team had proceeded to win their remaining five games to top the section. If they repeat that feat again in Group B, it will be the fourth time they have finished as group winners in the last five campaigns.

• These opponents will stir fond memories for Mourinho because Panathinaikos were one of the sides his Porto team defeated en route to lifting the UEFA Cup in 2003. Meeting in the quarter-finals, the Greek team won 1-0 away from home to make themselves favourites to go through only for Porto to hit back to win 2-0 in Athens after extra time.

• Inter's previous three trips to Athens have all been to play AEK Athens FC, with a defeat and a draw sandwiching a 1-0 success in the 1986/87 UEFA Cup first round.

• In the other group game, Werder Bremen take on competition debutants Anorthosis Famagusta FC.