Chelsea score predictions vs. Krasnodar: Win in UCL Group E finale

How does The Pride of London staff see Chelsea’s game against Krasnodar in the Champions League group stage finale finishing?

It’s well documented that Chelsea’s match on Tuesday is useless. The Blues host Krasnodar in the last match of the group stages. Frank Lampard’s team has already secured the top spot and the rest of the group is decided, so neither side really has anything to play for in the contest. Here’s The Pride of London‘s staff predictions for the game:

Scott Brant: 3-0 Chelsea

The Blues should clean Krasnodar up with ease; they essentially have nothing to play. Rotation should be heavy, and rightfully so, which is why the three to nil scoreline works. The players that do get in the side will be itching to prove their worth. Lamps plays players based on merit and it being deserved. Therefore, Krasnodar may want to look out for Billy Gilmour and Tino Anjorin, who will undoubtedly be putting in serious shifts. On to the knockout stages.

Varun Dani: 4-0 Chelsea

Chelsea will play with a rotated squad and possibly some academy players at Stamford Bridge, having already qualified and virtually topped the group. This is the fixture Lampard would’ve dreamt of, particularly given the winter fixture congestion. Gilmour will control the game in his return while Tammy Abraham will get the business done up top. This could’ve been a much bigger scoreline, but the home side will ease up after going ahead. The Blues will enjoy the night rather than being completely ruthless.

Abhishek Pancholi: 4-2 Chelsea

Lampard has already confirmed that Kepa Arrizabalaga will make his first start in a while, tomorrow. The pair of centerbacks ahead of him will be the two who draw the shortest straws, likely to be Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen. So that’s a firm ‘no’ on the clean sheet. On the brighter side, facing the official whipping boys of the group should allow a few youngsters to experience Champions League football under the lights.

Anjorin is likely to get a run out while Gilmour will play the Scottish Pirlo role to perfection, even though his own teammates might only understand about 50 percent of what he says under that heavy accent. Abraham should add a couple of goals to his tally before a rickety defence allows the visitors to level the score. A slew of changes by the gaffer will tilt the balance in the Blues’ favor towards the end of the game.

Mike Malley: 2-1 Chelsea

Having already won the UCL group and with a massive fixture against Everton at the weekend, Chelsea will likely play its weakest XI of the season against Krasnodar on Tuesday. Lampard has announced that Arrizabalaga will be between the sticks, so there will surely be a number of other changes, as well. Fans will be hoping to see Gilmour get a full 90′ and other fringe members of the squad will have an opportunity to show what they can do. The final score won’t be of huge importance to the Blues, but keeping the team’s momentum going wold be an added bonus.

Michael DeVito: 3-1 Chelsea

Cannot see a clean sheet for Arrizabalaga, but the Blues replacements should be of such quality so to take this rather comfortably. It’ll be nice to see Gilmour back in the team, Abraham should start up front with Christian Pulisic. The Blues are rather thin at winger with Ziyech out and Werner needing to be rested. Will winger be a January target?

Olly Smith: 3-0 Chelsea

A weaker defensive line-up is the last thing that Arrizabalaga needs in his return to the team, but that’s what he’ll get. Despite the odds, the Spaniard will be stellar and Gilmour hopefully gets the full 90. With an apparent lack of winger depth, maybe Marcos Alonso or Emerson plays winger or perhaps Lampard will change formations entirely. Whatever the case, get set for an easy romp after a feisty opening salvo.

Olaoluwa Nwobodo: 3-0 Chelsea

Chelsea has nothing to lose from this match, but the Blues have an “unbeaten throughout the group stages” tag to gain. Lampard can afford to rest the full starting XI and still field a strong side. The Blues’ second team beat Sevilla last week, granted that wasn’t Sevilla’s first team, but it was still impressive. Chelsea will be weakened, but it should have enough to see off Krasnodar.

Barrett Rouen: 5-0 Chelsea

I’m hoping that we see a very weird line-up with Kai Havertz on the RW and Werner rested. Fikayo Tomori I hope plays and then even Arrizabalaga gets a run out too.

Kevin Peacock: 4-0 Chelsea

Here’s hoping Kepa can keep-a clean sheet—he will. It’s unfortunate for the young Spaniard that Edouard Mendy has done so well since his arrival. It’s even more unfortunate for the older Argentine, Willy Caballero, whose Chelsea career is apparently all but over. On the attacking front though, Krasnodar ought to provide easy pickings for whoever it is that starts. Most of the goals may come in the second half, but Lampard’s boys will cruise to victory.

Gabe Henderson: 3-2 Chelsea

What do you get when you mix Arrizabalaga with a centerback duo that has hardly played all season? Goals galore for the visitors. However, the Blues’ saving grace in this useless contest will be the fact that the Bulls have nothing to play for either and will rest their starters for the weekend bout with Lokomotiv Moscow. I’m a big fan of chaos, so bring on Emerson and Anjorin as wingers with Henry Lawrence getting a well-deserved start over Alonso at left back. As long as there’s minutes for Gilmour, everything is OK in my book. Chelsea wins it late to preserve a win streak.

Travis Tyler: 1-0 Chelsea

A dead rubber that neither side really has to much of a reason to care about is decided by a lone, lazy goal as everyone shakes hands and goes home.

Joel Kristian Frederick Burton: 2-0 Chelsea

With a rotated squad putting in such a fine display in southern Spain last week, I don’t seen a larger volume of rotations affecting this Blues side’s rhythm. It will be fascinating to see which players get the nod (Rudiger and Tomori at centreback anyone?), as well as seeing how Arrizabalaga will react to being given minutes between the posts.

Tan Yi Hao: 4-0 Chelsea

Even with a heavily rotated XI, which will see the likes of Gilmour and Arrizabalaga handed starts after long periods out of the first team, Chelsea should still have too much for Krasnodar. Considering just how dominant the Blues were despite nine changes being made to the starting XI in match week five of the group stages last time out, expect a strong performance again from the Blues with so many fringe players looking to impress. Five wins in a row for the Blues in the Champions League it is.

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