Chelsea score predictions: Staff predicts strong outing in Spain

Chelsea travels to Seville looking to secure first place in Group E, but who does The Pride of London staff favor in the match?

Chelsea travels to Spain to tackle its toughest challenge of the Champions League group stages. The Blues will take on Sevilla in hopes of securing their spot atop Group E ahead of the last match next week. The two sides played out a tough 0-0 draw in the first leg of this affair, setting up a highly anticipated matchday five fight. Both Chelsea (11 matches) and Sevilla (five matches) are on unbeaten streaks, but will one of those runs come to an end?

Here is how The Pride of London staff sees the game playing out:

Scott Brant: 1-1 Draw

The Blues will do a bit of rotating, and the scoreline may reflect that. I am hoping Olivier Giroud gets the start up top, it’s deserved and needed for the Frenchman to stay sharp. I am also hoping Billy Gilmour gets some time under his belt on his way back to fitness. Sevilla has been in decent form the last five, and will likely give Chelsea all it can handle.

Olaoluwa Nwobodo: 1-1 Draw

Chelsea will not field its best team against Sevilla and that is understandable. Unfortunately, that also means that the quality of football will be different. The Blues are still keeping clean sheets, but the Champions League is a different beast. That said, they have conceded just one goal in four Champions League matches. It’s difficult to see Chelsea keeping a clean sheet in this one, especially if Kurt Zouma is rested.

Olly Smith: 2-2 Draw

Anyone else think that Timo Werner looks absolutely gassed? Yes, Frank Lampard needed to secure the points against Rennes, but his lack of rotation is going to hurt him coming into the busy winter schedule. Chelsea could still mount a competitive challenge domestically, but are the Blues really at a position to seriously challenge in Europe? Lampard should ring out the changes, it’s not like the players on the Blues’ bench are wholly incompetent. The more Lampard refuses to rotate, the more incompetent the team will become on the pitch. Giroud (please let it be Giroud starting) scores both Chelsea goals.

Mike Malley: 0-0 Draw

Edouard Mendy appears to be the truth, so a clean sheet never seems like a bad prediction these days. However, a team as well-organized and well-disciplined as Sevilla will always be hard to break down, regardless of how much firepower its opponent’s attack carries. Hopefully, Chelsea will squeak one past the La Liga side, but a draw still puts the Blues in a great position to win the group on the final matchday.

Varun Dani: 1-2 Chelsea

With both teams already in the Round of 16, there is nothing to lose in this match. Expect a fiesty, end-to-end game with both sides standing a good chance to come out as winners. Chelsea’s squad depth will ensure the Blues just edge it though, as Callum Hudson-Odoi and Giroud combine for the winner.

Michael DeVito: 0-1 Chelsea

The Blues are not finishing their chances—can they just get one and leave the rest to Mendy? It will be interesting to see if Giroud and Hudson-Odoi are given the starts. With Silva likely out, Antonio Rudiger will have to have a great game. Giroud to get the winner, Gilmour off the bench would be nice to see.

Hugo Amaya: 0-1 Chelsea

While everyone thinks that in this a game to relax and rotate, I think Lampard will want a strong performance. With only two or three rotations, Chelsea will set out to win pragmatically. The game won’t be expansive or even pretty, but it will be effective. Lampard will not want a draw from the Spurs game to bring down morale and he will, therefore, demand a lot of his players. One goal from the Blues in the second half will be enough to give Chelsea three more points.

Barrett Rouen: 1-2 Chelsea

1-1 is the scoreline that all the bookies are going with, but I just don’t see that happening. I think Sevilla will want a result and this could go 2-1 either way honestly, but I’d never bet against us. I am hoping we rotate the entire forward line and go with an odd line-up of Mendy/James, Silva, Zouma, Azpi/Jorginho, Mount, Havertz/Pulisic, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi.

Abhishek Pancholi: 2-1 Sevilla

The pain in Spain, not much to explain.

Gabe Henderson: 0-2 Chelsea

Sevilla’s attacking absences will kill any hope the Spanish side has of bettering the Blues. Chelsea’s backups capture three points and return home riding a 12-game unbeaten streak. This will ultimately be the win that sees the Blues win Group E.

Travis Tyler: 0-3 Chelsea

It’s time for a statement win, not just from the club as a whole, but from the backups that have been chomping at the bit. Lampard’s laid down the challenge to mostly last season’s starters and they will rise to the occasion as the Blues top the group in style.

Nate Hofmann: 1-1 Draw

While finishing first in the group would be nice, this is still essentially a dead rubber. Even if Lampard mercifully rotates a majority of the squad, Chelsea still has the upper hand in talent. Injuries to Luuk De Jong and Lucas Ocampos magnify that fact further. Regardless, expect a drop in intensity and quality on both sides. Smells like a stalemate to me.

Kevin Peacock: 0-2 Chelsea

This is optimistic if I’m honest, very optimistic. However, Chelsea has been in good form and Lampard will want to keep that positivity going with whoever plays. Timo Werner has looked like someone who needs 10 chances to score one lately. That won’t last though and Werner will feel comfortable on the European stage. Of course Werner may not play, but hey-ho like I say, I’m being optimistic.

Tan Yi Hao: 2-2 Draw

Much like Valencia vs. Chelsea in last season’s group stage, Wednesday’s match to decide the winner of Group E will hopefully be just as exciting and eventful as it was one year ago.

What is your score prediction for the match? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!