Chelsea have ambitions of winning the Champions League this season, however Shay Given believes their performance against Qarabag suggests they won’t have enough to get the job done.
The Blues were held to a disappointing 2-2 draw against the competition minnows, despite Estevao Willian finding the net again to open the scoring.
Despite Enzo Maresca praising Jorrel Hato’s performance, the Dutchman was at fault for both goals as they fell behind before half-time.
After positive signs despite defeat against Bayern Munich and consecutive wins against Benfica and Ajax, there will have been faith again that the Blues had a genuine chance of winning the Champions League.
Qarabag FK v Chelsea FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4
Photo by Aziz Karimov/Getty Images
Shay Given says Chelsea don’t have enough to win the Champions League
However, there will be many doubting they have the depth to compete with the real elite in Europe, and Shay Given is one of those.
He told TNT Sports: “All the teams are looking at Chelsea wondering if they have a chance to win this competition, and I would say off the back of tonight no they don’t.”
Chelsea are already a long way off the pace in the Premier League, and will look to Europe if they want to secure a major honour this season.
There will be positivity that they can maintain a strong record in the cups after Conference League and Club World Cup glory last season, but results like this against Qarabag will put a real dent in that confidence.
Shay Given before the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Everton FC
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Job not done in the Champions League for Chelsea
The Blues currently sit on seven points and in 12th place in the group stages, however their ambitions of finishing in the top eight will require a strong finish to the groups.
Chelsea still have to host Barcelona and David Luiz’s Pafos, as well as make difficult trips to Italy to take on Napoli, managed by Antonio Conte and Atalanta.
Finishing in the top eight will see Chelsea avoid playing in the play-offs, and missing two extra games in what is already a bloated fixture list.
It is certainly not the end of the world if they don’t though. PSG endured a mid-table finish at this stage last season, and went on to win the competition.