Hello there and welcome to Sports Mole's live commentary of Sporting Lisbon's Champions League opener with Maribor in Slovenia tonight.

It's a welcome return among Europe's elite for both of these clubs, with Maribor preparing for a first group-stage game for a staggering 15 years, while their Portuguese counterparts have been absent from the Champions League proper since the 2008-09 edition of the tournament.

Yep, this night has been a long time coming for both clubs - especially Maribor. It can't be a night for sentiment, however. Both sides must have their business heads on because, with Chelsea and Schalke favourites to progress from Group G, you get the impression that a draw here tonight would do Maribor and Sporting no favours at all.

Let's take a moment to doff our caps to Maribor, shall we? Ante Simundza's side beat Zrinjski Mostar, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Celtic en route to their first group-stage campaign since 1999, the year that Baby One More Time was released. That's how long ago we're talking folks! Speaking of teen starlets, let's look at Maribor's go-to-guy this season Luka Zahovic, a three-year old when his side last graced this tournament.

Zahovic, now 18, struck both goals in the Violets' 2-0 win over NK Krka last time out to bring his total for the season to five. It's fascinating to see how he does on his Champions League debut - if indeed he makes his bow - against a Sporting team that has endured a mixed start to the Primera Liga season back in Portugal.

Still unbeaten, but Marco Silva's troops have won once and drawn their other three games thus far. Three 1-1 stalemates and a 1-0 win. It's not inspiring, is it? It is also Silva's Champions League bow, having only took charge of the club back in May.

Right, let's take a quick look at both starting lineups, shall we?

Sporting Lisbon XI: Patricio; Jefferson, Sarr, Mauricio, Cedric; Carvalho, Adrien, Martins; Nani, Carrillo, Slimani

Maribor XI: Handanovic; Stojanovic, Rajcevic, Arghus, Viler; Vrsic, Filipovic, Mertelj, Sallalich; Ibrahimi, Tavares

Let's start with the Maribor team and, surprisingly, Zahovic is not in the first XI. Brazilian Tavares spearheads Maribor's attack, with Ibrahimi - who scored three times in qualifying - and Mertelj in close support. I don't need to tell you about Arghus, whose catalogue speaks for itself. I apologise in advance.

Incidentally, Zahovic does start on the bench along with Damjan Bohar, who struck against Celtic in their first-leg playoff last month. Some good options there for Simundza if he needs them.

Nani is the stand-out player in the Sporting first XI. The Manchester United loanee starts on the wing, with Algeria international Islam Slimani spearheading the attack. Marco Silva also elects to make one change from Saturday's 1-1 draw with Belenenses, as Cedric Soares replaces Ricardo Esgaio in the first XI.

Stat! Actually, Nani is the only player at the club to have scored a Champions League goal. The Portugal winger also won the competition with United back in 2008 and his Sporting teammates will be looking to him to lead the way tonight.

Or will they? Nani has actually endured a mixed start on his return to Sporting - who he left for red Red Devils in 2007 - and missed a penalty in the 1-0 win over Arouca last month, and Sporting boss Marco Silva admits that the 27-year-old is yet to scale the heights expected of him.

He told UEFA.com: "Of course Nani is a very important reinforcement for us, he is strong and experienced. But for the moment perhaps he is still getting used to our game, he hasn't really been at his best. However, there are 11 players on the pitch, it's not all about Nani. If he is not in his best shape, then someone else should take a leadership role on the field. It is all about the team spirit."

It will also be interesting to see William Carvalho this evening. The 22-year-old midfielder was heavily linked to Arsenal in the summer transfer window, but a move never materialised. Will we see why tonight, or will we see another promising product of a youth system that spawned Cristiano Ronaldo? Either way I'm looking forward to it.

Did you know? Ante Simundza, who takes charge of Maribor tonight, scored one of the club's two goals in their group-stage campaign 15 years ago? Will that experience help the 42-year-old prepare this generation for their European odyessy? Not according to Simundza himself.

He told UEFA.com: "I played in the UEFA Champions League and now I am a coach in this competition, but the only common point is Maribor. I don't like to compare the past with the present; it was 15 years ago that I played in this competition."

It's a big ask for the minnows to progress from a group that includes Chelsea and Schalke. But it's not impossible. Some of you will remember Apoel Nicosia's heroics of the 2011-12 campaign, when the Cypriot club - 63rd in the UEFA rankings at the time - captured the public's imagination and affection by somehow managing to reach the quarter-final stage. If Maribor are to emulate Apoel then a victory tonight is imperative.

Prediction: I'm going for a Maribor win. Hear me out: I think Sporting's domestic woes will spill over on to their European campaign. It's coach Marco Silva's debut in this competition, which is certainly significant, and Maribor fans have waited 15 years to hear the famous Champions League theme serenade their team; the players will know that and they'll be up for this. They're actually only 3/1 with the bookmakers so I'm not going against the grain as much as I thought I was sadly. Five minutes until kickoff!

Both teams are now making their way on to the field to the sound of the Champions League anthem. Speakers weren't invented the last time the Maribor fans heard that theme tune at the Ljudski Stadium. That's an exaggeration of course.

The officials are looking quite suave it has to be said, wearing black shirts with grey shorts. I've never seen that combination from the UEFA officials before. Let's hope they acquit themselves well here. We're moments away from the start now.

Right so we're off! Sporting get us underway and the Maribor fans are already whistling. Let's go!

Fairly even start to the contest so far and we've just had our first shot as right-back Cedric Soares takes aim from well outside the box, but his effort is never troubling Handanovic.

Play was halted here for a moment as Nani goes down with an injury. How many times have we said that in the past? He's back up again and looks to have shaken it off thankfully.

Save! We've had our first meaningful shot of the clash as Ibrahimi sees his left-footed effort beaten away by Patricio at the near post. The forward did well to get his shot away due to Sarr's pressing but the Sporting skipper was equal to it.

Arghus plays a hopeful ball forward but it's woeful and goes straight out of play to ironic cheers from the both sets of fans it seems. Good to see. Quite jovial occasion thus far.

Shot! Adrien might have just lost the ball. The Sporting midfielder took aim from outside the box with his left foot and blazed high and wide. In his defence he was under pressure from the Maribor defence, but it really was tame.

Good chance for Sporting to swing a ball in here as Arghus fouls Andre Martins out near the corner flag. Let's see what comes of it...

Jefferson whips in a fantastic left-footed cross which Handanovic has to save after it sailed narrowly over the heads of the Sporting players. All it needed was a nick.

Shot! Sporting well on top now as Nani drills a left-footed shot wide from outside the box.

Yellow card: Tavares is booked for diving now as the striker takes a tumble. He's quite a big unit the Brazilian so he was always going to struggle to convince anyone that he was brought to ground there.

Nani, playing on the right flank now after starting on the left, bends a fantastic cross into the box that Handanovic has to beat away for a corner, which comes to nothing.

Chance! Oh dear Sporting most definitely should be ahead as Carrillo spurns two really good chances. First, the winger exchanged a neat one-two with Slimani before seeing his one-on-one denied by Handanovic, before getting the rebound and curling against the bar from an angle.

Shot! Sporting really probing now as Nani sees another left foot strike deflected wide of the mark. Good defending from Vrsic on the resulting corner to head away Carvalho's goal-bound effort.

We very nearly saw a classic communication breakdown between defender and goalkeeper there, as Cedric heads back to Patricio, but the header is over-hit and goes past the shot-stopper, who thankfully recovered the ball before Tavares could tap home.

Chance! Tavares should have done far better here. The striker gets in between Cedric and Mauricio to reach Mertelj's cross, but his header is weak and Patricio comfortably catches it. Very decent chance.

Save! Maribor enjoying a really good spell now as Patricio gets down well to deny Ibrahimi's shot from outside the box. Sarr thrashed away for a corner. Promising spell here for the hosts.

You can see why Carvalho is so highly thought of at Lisbon. The 22-year-old midfielder has done excellently in this half, putting out fires left, right and centre in that defensive midfield role.

Yellow card: Mauricio brings down Sallalich to earn himself a yellow card. Maribor will whip this free kick in....

Off the post! Aleksander Rajcevic gets on the end of Vrsic's terrific left-footed cross, but his downward header clips the outside of the post and rolls out for a goal kick. The defender dropped to his knees as soon as he missed. Could, and should, have scored Maribor's first goal in the Champions League proper for 15 years.

The referee has called time on a very entertaining first half display in Maribor, with both teams having really good chances to edge ahead.

Carrillo really should have opened the scoring for Sporting but he was denied by Handanovic in a one-on-one, before striking against the bar from the rebound in the same passage of play. Aleksander Rajcevic then headed against the post just before the break for what would've been Maribor's first Champions League goal this century! He looked gutted.

Here's that Rajcevic chance toward the end of the half. Mauricio's face says it all! Big chance. Big miss.

Substitution: Joao Mario replaces Andre Martins for this second half.

And we're back underway in Slovenia folks. Maribor, playing right to left, restart the clash. We're due a goal after that first half, surely? Time will tell.

Chance! Big chance right from the off as Sporting race out of the traps. Slimani, who was quiet in the first half, almost breaks the deadlock, diving to reach Nani's cross but Handanovic keeps out the header. Good stop.

Close! This is so close from Tavares, who receives a crossfield pass from Ibrahimi before taking aim from inside the box, but Cedric gets himself in the way of the shot and it loops over Patricio and out for a corner.

Good save from Handanovic, who does well to hold on to Jefferson's fierce shot. He had to, because Slimani was lurking.

Save! Another really important, yet comfortable enough save, this time from Patricio as the Sporting keeper holds on to Sallalich's thumping shot. Tavares was ready to follow it up had the Portuguese stopper spilled the beans.

Substitution: And that was Sallalich's last contribution as the midfielder is replaced by Damjan Bojar, who scored against Celtic in the previous round. Sporting wear green and white hoops, too. Just a thought.

Chance! Another sight at goal from Maribor as Tavares again threatens. The Brazilian runs through and fires left-footed at Patricio, but he's leaning back and that hinders the accuracy as the shot curls wide. He's done well tonight.

Chance! Yet another really good chance for the visitors, as Mertejl fires Vrsic's cut-back over the bar from inside the box. He was completely unmarked, yet he failed to even test the keeper. All these might come back to haunt Maribor.

Save! End to end stuff now as Nani is the latest culprit to miss an excellent chance. Carrillo out-jumps two Maribor defenders to reach a header, which ultimately drops to the unmarked Nani inside the box, but the winger volleys into the ground and Handanovic punches the ball away. Fine save. Fine chance.

Substitution: That is Carrillo's last contribution as the winger is replaced by Carlos Mane. About 25 minutes left here. Will we see a goal? You'd hope so. It's the Champions League, yet both teams are finishing like Europa League teams.

Sporting bossing the possession stakes now. Mane already looks a decent substitution, but Maribor defence still holding strong here.

Shot! Another decent chance goes begging, this time substitute Joao Mario is guilty of missing as the midfielder picks up Nani's cushioned lay-off before blazing wide from the edge of the box. It can't end 0-0, can it?

Maribor fans, to their credit, have not stopped singing throughout this whole match. It'll so harsh on the fans, let alone the team, if Sporting snatch a winner.

Shot! And they almost do snatch a goal as Mane volleys narrowly wide of the post from inside the area. I'll need to double check this but I think that was the game's 205th shot at goal.

Sporting are really starting to turn the screw now and Maribor legs look a little weary in defence. They've got about 12 minutes to hang on.

And Sporting have finally made that dominance count as Nani drills a superb left-footed shot past Handanovic from the edge of the box. It was a fine strike. Harsh on Maribor, but welcome to the Champions League boys.

Substitution: Final throw of the dice for Maribor boss Ante Simundza now as the coach replaces Vrsic with Luka Zahovic, who we spoke about before the game. Five goals in his last five. He'll love to make it six in six now.

Jean Philippe Mendy, who came on moments ago, looks to make an immediate impact as the Frenchman gallops toward goal, but Mauricio gets a crucial tackle in before he can get a shot away.

Chance! We've seen some bad misses tonight, but Mane takes the biscuit. The winger plants a free header at Handanovic from about three yards out. Literally. Shocking. Sporting should've put this to bed just then.

Luka Zahovic has salvaged a point for Maribor here folks and it's nothing less than what they deserve, if they hang on to this. The striker gambles on Cedric mis-hitting a clearance, which he does as the defender slices horribly into the path of the 18-year-old, who heads past Patricio. What a way to mark your Champions League debut.

Have we caught our breath? What a fantastic end to what was a terrific game throughout it has to be said. Zahovic, who we spoke about before the game, came off the bench to cancel out Nani's 80th-minute opener in the dying stages of this one.

It was nothing less than what Maribor deserved in fairness. Superb ending to that one. Anyways, that's all from me, my friends. Stay tuned for analysis and player ratings on a terrific night in Slovenia. See you next time.