Chelsea have a slight edge over Eintracht Frankfurt going into the second leg, but that could quickly evaporate. Here are our predictions for the tie.
Anyone with a heart condition may be under doctor’s order not to watch any more European football this week. After Liverpool’s and Tottenham’s comebacks, it’s hard to imagine Chelsea topping that drama. Let’s hope they don’t, and just do the job.
Gabe Henderson: Chelsea 3 – 1 Eintracht Frankfurt. Chelsea were the much better side in the second half of the first leg, and they’ll come out with that force in the second leg. Eden Hazard will likely start and put on a show for what is thought to be his Stamford Bridge swan song.
Overall, Frankfurt is a quality side, but when Chelsea dominate possession and are able to limit the Germans’ possession to their own half of the pitch, it’s difficult to get anything going. Chelsea will book its ticket to Baku with a comfortable win.
Sourav Mahanty: 2 – 1. Let’s hope the Blues can keep the momentum going and make it to the final. Hazard deserves to go out with a trophy.
Karan Saini: 2 – 1. Now that a Champions League spot is ensured, Maurizio Sarri should have his team fully focused on the Europa League and play his strongest XI. The 3-0 win over Watford should be a huge confident boost. Missing out on N’Golo Kante and Antonio Rudiger in the game, the Blues will face a bit of defensive troubles and Frankfurt will score an away goal.
In the end, Chelsea should reach the Europa league final.
Olaoluwa Nwobodo: 3 – 1. Getting the away goal was important, but we’re about to see just how important it’ll turn out to be. Chelsea have enough about them to see off Frankfurt, assuming they have learnt something from Frankfurt’s earlier ties. If they haven’t, then they don’t deserve to be Europa League Champions.
Most of us enjoyed watching Liverpool upset Barcelona. I do NOT want to see Frankfurt celebrate an upset of their own. Olivier Giroud with a brace, but it won’t be complete without a Luka Jovic goal, would it?
Scott Brant: 2 – 1. With top-four out of the way, the Europa League is now about getting a trophy. Win, and on to the final. Olivier Giroud has to start – even Maurizio Sarri isn’t dumb enough to leave the highest scoring Europa League player this season on the bench. A goal for the Frenchman and one for Hazard. Jovic to score for Frankfurt.
Kevin Peacock: 2 – 0. What a difference a week makes. A week ago Champions League was at best probable, but now with that done and dusted it’s all about Maurizio Sarri getting his first elusive trophy. Once he’s got that monkey off his back, who knows, we may see a different manager altogether.
Pedro grabbed a crucial away goal last week, which may prove significant if Chelsea are to make it to the final. It will be close and Frankfurt’s supporters will massively out-sing Chelsea’s.
As a game, it won’t be pleasant, but I have to go for a Chelsea win. Hazard scores two in his final appearance at Stamford Bridge.
Barrett Rouen: 2 – 1. I think Frankfurt are a better side than Chelsea are, particularly without their best player. That said, Chelsea are a trophy-chasing club and there’s a chance to win something here.
Admittedly, this current group have none of that DNA, so what is that knowledge worth? Nothing. This could easily be 2-1 in the other direction.
Nate Hofmann: 2 – 2. In their last two matches, Chelsea have made a dangerous habit of being thoroughly outplayed for the first half hour or so. While Watford made what looked to be a concerted effort to avoid finishing any of the dozens of chances they created, Frankfurt rightfully punished the Blues for their early-match lethargy.
In both cases, Chelsea managed to find some degree of composure and fight back. Unlike the Watford match, however, they were unable to put daylight between themselves and Frankfurt.
With a Champions League spot secured for next season (thanks Huddersfield and Brighton!), there’s no reason to expect Chelsea to come out and grab the match by the throat. A much hungrier Frankfurt side will strike in the early stages. An awoken but shaken Chelsea will manage to equalize, only to concede again, an advantage that will be tough to overcome.
A late second for Chelsea will provide hope, but it won’t be enough. Cue sad trombone.
Now excuse me while I go back to vomiting at the thought of a Liverpool – Tottenham Champions League final.
Vikrant Rathore: 1 – 1. This week so far has been very unpredictable, but still, Chelsea will qualify for the final. Definitely a draw it is and Chelsea will get the away goal benefit.
Abhishek Pancholi: 1 – 2. The German side will have watched the action in the Champions League over the past couple of days and felt even more emboldened about their own prospects.
Eintracht had Chelsea on the ropes for large parts of the first leg, and they will go for the jugular once again, well aware that an away goal will cause pandemonium in the home camp.
But it won’t be that way from the beginning. Chelsea will take an early lead and threaten to score again before the first half is over. But Sarri will give in to the temptation of delivering a half-time pep talk, causing the home side to capitulate in their customary style in the second half. Frankfurt will score around the 60′, leveling the tie. Chelsea will try to keep possession in the final few minutes, hoping to hit back in extra time.
But their plans will be thrown into disarray when a lapse of concentration in the Chelsea midfield releases one of Frankfurt’s speedsters to run straight at Kepa Arrizabalaga before planting a hard and low shot into the bottom corner. Game over.