Chelsea FC head to the Czech capital tomorrow night looking to keep their perfect UEFA Europa League form going. The Blues have more wins (9) than any other side in the UEL, and their +21 goal differential tops the field too. The west London side visits Slavia Prague for the first of their two legged UEL quarterfinal tie.
It’s the first ever meeting between the two sides, and Slavia Prague comes into this clash with a very poor record against English clubs. In nine previous meetings against British sides, they have one win, two draws and six losses.
That one win was in 2000 against Leeds United in UEFA Cup competition. For Chelsea, this will be their 10th European quarterfinal since 2003-04. Given how they progressed forward from nine of those previous ten, you can see why the Blues are massively favored here.
In taking a look at what kind of starting lineup Blues boss Maurizio Sarri may put on the pitch, Eden Hazard will almost certainly be rested for this one, as he’s only played 117 minutes in total this competition.
We can all use a rest from the Real Madrid transfer saga and speculation that surrounds the Belgian everyday. Having been the hero of Monday night’s London derby against West Ham United, he’s more than earned a night off.
Chelsea FC Starting XI Prediction at Slavia Prague (UEFA Europa League Quarterfinal Leg 1/2)
Attack: Callum Hudson-Odoi, Olivier Giroud, Willian
Midfield: Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ross Barkley
Defense: Davide Zappacosta, Andreas Christensen, David Luiz, Marcos Alonso
Goalkeeper: Willy Caballero
Chelsea FC at Slavia Prague (UEFA Europa League Quarterfinal Leg 1/2) FYIs
Kickoff- Thursday Apr 11, Sinobo Stadium 8pm
Odds via Bet365- Chelsea win 7/10, Draw 14/5, Slavia Prague win 19/4
Prediction- Chelsea 2, Slavia Prague 1
Having only played substitute minutes last time out, look for Giroud to lead the line, and in the process lead the visitors to victory.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.