Lens will host Panathinaikos at Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Thursday for the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League playoff. This marks Lens' debut in the playoff round after qualifying last season. Since returning to Ligue 1 in 2019-20, Lens has been consistently strong, finishing seventh in three of the last four seasons and coming close to the Ligue 1 title in 2022-23. Despite a lower finish last season, they secured a spot in the Europa Conference League. New manager Will Still, who took over from Franck Haise, has seen a successful pre-season, and Lens have a strong home record, losing just 13 of their last 58 league games.

Panathinaikos finished fourth in the Greek league last season and entered the Europa Conference League qualifiers after a disappointing end to their campaign. They narrowly lost to Ajax in the Europa League third qualifying round after a penalty shootout. Their recent form has been shaky, including a 1-0 defeat to Asteras Tripolis, leaving them low on confidence. Manager Diego Alonso faces a tough task as his team prepares for this challenging away fixture against Lens.

Lens vs Panathinaikos stream and TV listing

Cyprus：Cytavision Sports 4

Jordan：beIN SPORTS CONNECT

International：Holasports