Chelsea vs Sevilla predictions and match preview for Tuesday’s game in the UEFA Champions League. Read on for the head-to-head, team news, betting tips and predicted lineups as the last two Europa League winners meet.
- DATE: Tuesday 20th October 2020
- KICK-OFF: 20:00 (local time)
- VENUE: Stamford Bridge
- COMPETITION: UEFA Champions League (Group Stage)
Chelsea vs Sevilla Preview
Matchday 1 of the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League group stage sees a first ever official meeting between Chelsea and Sevilla, the winners of the last two Europa League competitions. Chelsea had a miserable exit from last season’s Champions League in August bowing out to eventual champions Bayern 7-1 on aggregate. On the other hand, Sevilla conquered the Europa League for a record sixth time after two stunning weeks of football in Germany, concluding in a 3-2 win over Inter in the final.
This is Sevilla’s sixth appearance in the Champions League group stages and they have made the knockouts in all but one of the previous five, most recently reaching the quarter finals in 2018.
Sevilla will head into the fixture after a 1-0 loss at high-flying Granada on Saturday – a result which ended the Nervionenses’ 18-match unbeaten run in the league and handed them their first loss inside 90 minutes since February. It was a disappointing first half from Lopetegui’s side where they failed to open up the Granada defence. Their task was made even tougher after the sending off of Joan Jordán and 10-man wounded Sevilla failed to even rescue a point as Yangel Herrera headed in the winner eight minutes from time. Lopetegui probably had this big game in mind as he opted not to start Ocampos, En-Nesyri and de Jong. There were problems in the backline as well with Koundé missing after testing positive for the virus and Escudero coming off injured in the first half.
This is Chelsea’s 17th time in the Champions League group stage but success has been limited in recent years with the last four campaigns ending in round of 16 exits.
Chelsea have not had a tremendous start to their season with only two wins in their first five league games. Frank Lampard’s men surrendered a two goal advantage to share the spoils in a 3-3 draw at home to Southampton on Saturday. Goals haven’t been a problem for the Blues though as they have netted 13 of them so far.
Their two new German signings were on the mark at the weekend with two goals for Timo Werner and one for Kai Havertz. But defensive frailties are obvious with six goals conceded in the last three matches.
This is definitely the biggest clash in Group E. Both teams are expected to tussle for the top spot and so a winning start is what both managers will want. Chelsea have only one win in their last 10 matches against Spanish opposition while Sevilla have only lost once in their last nine encounters against Premier League teams. However, the last time Sevilla visited London was back in 2007 – a 3-0 loss at the Emirates versus Arsenal.
Head to Head
- This will be the first ever competitive meeting.
Team News
Sevilla defenders Sergio Escudero and Jules Koundé are ruled out for the game.
Chelsea will miss new signings Édouard Mendy and Thiago Silva and also young midfielder Billy Gilmour due to injuries.
Predicted Chelsea Starting Lineup:
Kepa – Azpilicueta, Christensen, Zouma, Chilwell – Jorginho, Kanté – Mount, Havertz, Pulisic – Werner (4-2-3-1)
Predicted Sevilla Starting Lineup:
Bono – Navas, Gómez, Carlos, Acuña – Jordán, Fernando, Rakitić – Ocampos, de Jong, Suso (4-3-3)
Chelsea vs Sevilla Predictions
Score Prediction: Chelsea 1-1 Sevilla
The Chelsea attack is one of the most prolific in England but the Sevilla defence even without Koundé is a tough nut to crack. Bayern dismantled Chelsea but struggled to break down Sevilla, who have recently been playing a lot of the top European teams. Lopetegui’s team haven’t exactly been free scorers but will still be expected to get past the shaky Chelsea backline. The Blues will ride on an important home advantage but this has a high possibility of being a stalemate.
UEFA Champions League Betting Tips (18+)
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Read our latest Champions League & Europa League match previews.
