Ace Football previews the Champions League match between Chelsea and FC Krasnodar, and offers betting tips, odds, line-ups, and team news.
Chelsea head into the final Group E fixture hoping to bag one last victory against FC Krasnodar at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.
The Blues have already secured their last-16 spot as Group E winners on 13 points from five games. Krasnodar, meanwhile, will drop down to the Europa League once the knockout stages commence in February.
While there is little left to play for, the visitors can head to London without fear and take an all-out approach. The question is will that be enough to stop Chelsea? Several changes are likely to be made, including one in goal, suggesting an intriguing affair could be on offer.
Chelsea Form & Stats
The Blues came from behind to grab a convincing 3-1 win over Leeds United in front of 2,000 supporters at home last weekend to keep their Premier League title hopes strong ahead of a tricky winter schedule.
10 matches, including the one against Krasnodar, will be played until January 16. On average, Chelsea will have just four days to recover from each fixture. Therefore, Frank Lampard is set to rotate his line-up on Tuesday to give some of his regulars a rest.
But if there is one aspect of the Chelsea squad that stands out, it’s the depth. Lampard has plenty of quality back-up options at his disposal. Olivier Giroud, for one, has only started one Premier League game yet has scored five goals in his last two outings.
Lampard, meanwhile, confirmed in his pre-match conference Kepa Arrizabalaga will return in goal. Billy Gilmour will also start, having recently recovered from a long-term knee injury, along with other unnamed fringe players.
The Blues boss, though, is keen to extend the club’s run of eight wins in nine games across all competitions. And in an inconsistent Krasnodar, the starters on Tuesday have a splendid chance to prove a point to Lampard.
Key Team Stats
- Won four of their five Champions League games this season (D1).
- Ahead at half-time and full-time in their last four Champions League games.
- Taken an average of 19 minutes to score their first goal in the Champions League.
- Kept 10 clean sheets in their last 15 home games across all competitions (W11 D3 L1).
- Olivier Giroud has scored six goals in his last four games across all competitions.
FC Krasnodar Form & Stats
Marcus Berg’s second-half goal sealed Krasnodar a 1-0 win over Rennes last week and third-place in Group E. Therefore, they’ll continue in the Europa League regardless of the outcome of their clash with Chelsea.
The pressure is now off for Murad Musayev’s men and this could benefit them at Stamford Bridge. After all, they’ve literally got nothing to lose or gain – except a bit of pride, perhaps.
Krasnodar had the perfect warm-up for Chelsea by smashing a 10-man Rotor Volgograd 5-0 over the weekend. Although the Bulls, who finished fourth in the Russian Premier League last season, sit only ninth in the current standings. They’ve also lost five of their last eight league games (W3).
This may tempt Musayev to rotate his squad a little to spare key players for more important games. The head coach has already lost Dmitriy Stotskiy and Sergei Petrov to injuries. Yury Gazinsky (back) and Kristoffer Olsson (hamstring) are also doubts.
Key Team Stats
- Won just one of their last five Champions League games (D1 L3).
- Winless in their last six away games in all competitions (D1 L5).
- 71% of their Champions League games this season have ended with an odd number of goals.
- Have scored in four of their five Champions League games this season.
- A penalty has occurred in 57% of their five Champions League games this season.
Team News
Chelsea
Out: Hakim Ziyech.
Doubt/s: N/A.
FC Krasnodar
Out: Dmitriy Stotskiy, Sergei Petrov.
Doubt/s: Yury Gazinsky, Kristoffer Olsson.
Predicted Line-ups
(Note: The image will change to the official XI once they’re both announced)
Top Goalscorers in Recent Games
Head-To-Head Record
Below are some head-to-head stats on each team’s recent form in the Champions League.
Match Facts
Betting Tips
More Odds
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