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Match Preview
Chelsea head to the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium on Wednesday looking to extend their winning run in the Champions League to three games.
Enzo Maresca’s side have recovered well since their opening loss away to Bayern Munich, responding with back-to-back home victories over Benfica and Ajax.
Another win in Baku would further push their qualification hopes, particularly against opponents who have struggled historically against English opposition.
Qarabag have lost all seven of their European meetings with clubs from England, failing to score in the last six of those fixtures.
Veteran coach Gurban Gurbanov has guided Qarabag to two Champions League wins this season, but this fixture represents their toughest test yet.
The Azerbaijani champions have not beaten an English side in Europe and were heavily defeated by Chelsea the last time the two clubs met in the 2017-18 group stage, losing 6-0 at Stamford Bridge and 4-0 at home.
Still, recent victories over Benfica and Copenhagen have offered a morale boost. Qarabag have scored in each of their three European matches so far, a 3-2 win over Benfica, a 2-0 triumph against Copenhagen, and a 3-1 defeat away to Athletic Club.
The visitors, meanwhile, arrive in high spirits after a steady run of form. Since their disappointing start in Munich, they have claimed a narrow 1-0 win over Benfica and a dominant 5-1 success against Ajax, helped by an early red card to Kenneth Taylor.
A 1-0 league win against Tottenham at the weekend continued their positive run, and Maresca’s team will be confident of securing their first away European victory of the campaign.
Team news for Qarabag v Chelsea
Qarabag will be without forward Ramil Sheydayev, who was not included in their Champions League squad. Joni Montiel made his long-awaited return with a brief appearance at the weekend but is ineligible for Wednesday’s clash.
Abdellah Zoubir, fresh from a goal and assist in domestic action against Imisli, is expected to be key on the left flank, while Leandro Andrade, their leading scorer in Europe with goals against Benfica and Athletic Club, remains a major attacking threat.
Chelsea continue to manage several absences. Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, Benoit Badiashile and Dario Essugo are still sidelined, and Mykhaylo Mudryk remains suspended following his anti-doping violation.
Joao Pedro, who netted the winner against Tottenham, is available again after serving his Champions League suspension for a red card against Benfica.
Young striker Liam Delap could make his European debut after recovering from a thigh injury, while Estevao may return to the starting lineup following a substitute appearance at the weekend. E
nzo Maresca could also hand Moises Caicedo a rest, with Romeo Lavia in line for more minutes in midfield.
Expected line-ups for Qarabag v Chelsea
Qarabag: Kochalski; Silva, Mustafazada, Medina, Cafarquliyev; Bicalho, Borges; Duran, Andrade, Zoubir; Akhundzade
Chelsea: Sanchez; Gusto, Acheampong, Adarabioyo, Cucurella; Lavia, Fernandez; Estevao, Pedro, Gittens; Guiu
How to watch Qarabag v Chelsea: TV channel, online stream
The match will take place at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday evening.
Kick-off is at 5:45pm in the UK and is available to watch live on TNT Sports, with live streaming available via Discovery+ and the TNT Sports app.
The stats for Qarabag v Chelsea
- Qarabag have never beaten an English club in European competition (P7, L7)
- They have failed to score in their last six meetings with Premier League sides
- Chelsea have scored 10 goals across their last two Champions League matches
- The Blues have won on both previous visits to Baku
- Qarabag have scored in all three of their group-stage games so far
Prediction
Qarabag’s attacking form suggests they could find the net against a Chelsea side that has shown occasional defensive lapses.
However, the visitors’ superior quality should see them control the contest comfortably. Expect Maresca’s team to record a convincing away win and take another step toward the competition’s top eight.
Prediction: Qarabag 1-4 Chelsea
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: 101greatgoals.com
