Chelsea vs Pafos Prediction
🔊 Will David Luiz make a return to Stamford Bridge? The 38-year-old Pafos defender was substituted in the 12th minute of his last Cypriot league match but is eager to recover quickly to remind London fans of his presence. Whether the Brazilian will receive a warm welcome on the pitch or from the bench, we'll find out on Wednesday. Let's assess each team's chances of victory right now with our editorial's prediction.
Head-to-Head
📊 The teams have not faced each other before.
H2H Stats Matches and Previous Teams Results
Chelsea Team Overview
Chelsea experienced a leadership change at the start of the year. Enzo Maresca departed on January 1, and Liam Rosenior stepped in from their affiliate club Strasbourg. The English manager immediately ended the club's five-match winless streak with a victory against Charlton from the Championship in the cup. Last weekend, Chelsea secured their first Premier League win under Rosenior, defeating Fulham 2-0. As a result, the Blues climbed from 8th to 6th place, trailing the European competition spots by just one point.
In the Champions League, Chelsea dropped to 13th after an away defeat to Atalanta. The teams had contrasting halves in Bergamo. The London side was more dominant in the first half, scoring twice, though one goal was disallowed by VAR. In the second half, the hosts took control and secured a comeback victory with a 2-1 scoreline. Chelsea are now two points shy of the Round of 16 playoff spots.
Match Results: Chelsea
Pafos Team Overview
In Pafos, much like at Chelsea, the start of the year brought a change in management. Replacing Juan Carlos Carcedo, who departed for Moscow's Spartak, is former Real Madrid and Barcelona player Albert Celades. The Spanish coach made his debut in the Cypriot league with a home match against Omonia Aradippou, a team from the lower half of the table, which Pafos comfortably defeated 2-0. However, Celades and his squad faced challenges in their next away game in Nicosia against Olympiakos, where they fell by the same scoreline (0-2). As a result, the reigning Cypriot champions are currently third in the league, trailing the leaders by five points.
In their debut Champions League campaign, Pafos held their own against Europe's mid-tier teams and was even in a playoff spot up until Matchday 6. However, after a 0-2 defeat to Juventus away, the Cypriots slipped to 26th place, just one point shy of the coveted 24th position. Nonetheless, their chances for European spring remain alive as they are set to host Slavia, who sit even lower in the standings, in their final match.
Match Results: Pafos
Latest news
Chelsea
🎙 Chelsea's head coach has responded to reports about his coaching methods. Earlier, the Daily Mail reported that the English manager organizes Lego-building competitions. His idea of assembling Lego sets aims to foster team bonding. "Yes, we'll soon have Lego sessions. I know where this information came from. I also frequently use clapping exercises. I was sent a very, very good article that I liked. I'm a coach and I want to help the players. We will continue to work hard," said Liam Rosenior.
❌ Joining Romeo Lavia and Levi Colwill, who have been long-term absentees for Chelsea, is Tosin Adarabioyo, the man of the match against Brentford, after Premier League's 22nd round. Besides the injured players, the club also has athletes dealing with health issues during this cold season: Estevao, Malo Gusto, and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.
Pafos
❌ In the latest round of the Cypriot league, Pafos lost three defenders: David Luiz, Joao Correia, and David Goldar. Earlier, another member of the backline, Pedrao, had already been sidelined with an injury.
🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards
The match will be officiated by Erik Lambrechts from Belgium. Over his last 10 Pro League matches, he has averaged 4.3 yellow cards. While comparing the Premier League and the Cypriot league in terms of competition level is pointless, we dare to predict that Chelsea might field an experimental lineup at Stamford Bridge against modest Pafos. The young Londoners often face disciplinary issues on the pitch due to their excessive zeal.
Additionally, both teams are fighting for different stages of the playoffs, each with a solid chance to advance. This suggests an intense level of competition. Our prediction: total yellow cards over 2.5.
⚽️ Goal Predictions
The main question here is whether the visitors will manage to score at Stamford Bridge. On one hand, Chelsea's young lineup is not very stable in defense; in all Champions League matches where the Londoners played with non-regulars, they consistently conceded goals. On the other hand, Pafos struggles to score: four goals in six rounds of the main European competition is telling. Moreover, in their first away game in the league under the new coach, the Cypriots failed in creativity. It's highly likely that in London, the bet on both teams to score (no) will play out.
🚩 Corner Predictions
We anticipate that Chelsea will dominate possession regardless of the lineup Liam Rosenior puts out. Pafos' average possession percentage over six Champions League rounds stands at 31.8%. Their only chance against European giants is through set pieces, and they are well aware of this, frequently capitalizing on such opportunities. Pafos averages 2.8 corners per match. The odds suggest a bet on Pafos total corners over 2.5.
Editorial Prediction
The odds for Chelsea are leaning towards certainty, which isn't surprising despite their recent struggles and managerial change because of it. Liam Rosenior has made a strong impression in London, particularly against less formidable teams, with two out of three matches ending in victories by more than two goals. Pafos have suffered as many defeats in the Champions League, with a similar goal difference against Europe's elite clubs. Given these factors, betting on a Chelsea win with a -2 handicap seems a reasonable prediction. The anticipated scoreline is 3-0.
Betting Tips: Chelsea - Pafos
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in 14 of last 15 Erik Lambrechts games.in last 5 games.in 6 of last 7 away games.in 31 of last 32 games.in last 14 home games.
Comparison of Teams Stats
Other predictions
