Qarabag vs. Chelsea: Predictions for a win at the end of a long journey
Chelsea make the longest journey in the club’s Champions League history to face Qarabag. Will they make it worth the travel by securing three points and a place in the knockout rounds?
Chelsea won the first-ever meeting with Qarabag 6-0 in this season’s Champions League opener. Qarabag recovered from their dreadful debut by denying Roma and Atletico Madrid a similar triumph. Atletico particularly suffered against the Horsemen, and now the Blues must corral the home side’s momentum and book their ticket in the knockout rounds.
Kevin Peacock: Qarabag 0 – 3 Chelsea. Antonio Conte shows Qarabag every respect by starting with a strong XI. David Luiz starts and scores along with Alvaro Morata, who scored two first half goals to see Chelsea lead 3-0 at half-time. They shut up shop in the second half and swap personnel ahead of the weekend trip to Liverpool.
Scott Brant: 0 – 2. Teams in the group this year have struggled with the travel away to Qarabag. Chelsea are favorites by a goal and a half. Morata will keep his hot form with another headed goal. Luiz will be looking to stand out in some shape or fashion in his probable return. A win with no injuries and then get ready for Liverpool on Saturday.
Travis Tyler: 0 – 1. Qarabag have put up fights at home and that is not going to stop. But Conte’s changes will prove fruitful once more as a substitute scores into added time.
Shivansh Sareen: 0 – 1. David Luiz with a deflected free kick halfway through the second half.
Vishnu Raj: 0 – 2. A solid match. With the Liverpool fixture in mind, Antonio Conte will be careful not to take too many risks, especially with some key injuries. Even though Qarabag held Atletico to a stalemate in both their fixtures, Chelsea will prove too good for them. David Luiz and Danny Drinkwater will get a very good 90 minutes under their belt.
Abhishek Pancholi: 0 – 4. Conte gives the likes of Dujon Sterling and Ethan Ampadu an opportunity to play in the Champions League and they don’t disappoint. Chelsea start in a 3-4-3 with both Pedro and Willian on the flanks. Despite a raft of changes, they prove too strong for Qarabag and win it with ease.
Next: David Luiz needs the start against Qarabag to keep his Chelsea prospects alive