Slavia Prague v Chelsea Betting Tips: Blues to continue Europa joy?
Published:
Preview and odds for Europa League quarter-final
Chelsea’s Europa League travails have been far more straight-forward than their Premier League efforts this season. And the Blues will hope that they continue that tonight away at Slavia Prague.
With a top-four spot far from secure, Maurizio Sarri’s side know that Europa success could be their entry into next season’s Champions League.
An away goal or two in Prague would help tonight. It’s underway at 8.00pm, live on BT Sport 3.
Head-to-head
This will be the first-ever meeting between this pair, and Chelsea come into it having won their last three league games.
And they’ve been strong in away games in Europe too, winning four and drawing one of their five trips on the continent this season.
Slavia Prague are unbeaten in 10, and have been scoring plenty of goals at the Sinobo Stadium, with 18 goals in their last five home games.
Likely XIs
Slavia Prague: Kolar, Deli, Ngadeu-Ngadjui, Kudela, Boril, Kral, Husbauer,Traore, Coufal, Stoch, Skoda
Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, Zappacosta, Rudiger, Christensen, Alonso, Kante, Kovacic, Barkley, Willian, Pedro, Groud
Having played on Monday night, and with a trip to Liverpool to come on Sunday, Sarri is sure to mix things up tonight.
Eden Hazard, Gonzalo Higuain and possibly Callum Hudson-Odio could all be rested, with Willian, Pedro and Olivier Giroud the three up front. Ross Barkley could start with Jorginho rested, and the same goes for Andreas Christensen and David Luiz.
Slavia Prague boss Jindrich Trpisovsky has found great success with a 3-5-1-1 formation. Milan Skoda will start up front, with Miroslav Stoch playing just off the striker.
Key battles
The Czech side took their chances against Sevilla in the previous round, but the Spanish side had more of the ball and created more chances.
A similar pattern could follow tonight, with Barkley, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic dictating the play. Giroud offers a target up front, from which Pedro and Willian can play off.
But it might take some time for the Premier League side to find their way past Prague’s five-man midfield. They’ve already kept four clean sheets at home in the Europa League this season.
Match odds
Chelsea’s prowess sees them handed 7/10 favouritism to win the first leg. There’s 17/4 about the hosts, with 11/4 on a draw.
But even a draw would do for Sarri’s side, if it’s a score-draw. Goals will be the order of the night for the visitors.
Giroud heads up the first goalscorer betting at 7/2. Hazard and Gonzalo Higuain are the same price, but both are set to be rested.
There’s 11/2 about Pedro to net first and 13/2 for Willian to break the deadlock. At 9/1, Skoda is the most likely first scorer for the hosts.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
