Chelsea hosts Cypriot side Pafos FC in the UEFA Champions League league-phase contest on Wednesday night at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea recorded their first victory in manager’s Liam Rosenior Premier League debut as the Blues beat Brentford 2-0 to snap a five-game PL winless run.
However, the Blues fell to a 2-1 defeat at Atalanta BC under former boss Enzo Maresca which left the West Londoners languishing in 13th place in the league-phase standings.
Pafos suffered a shocking 2-0 defeat to Olympiakos Nicosia in their last outing at the weekend.
The Pafians also lost in their last Champions League outing, losing 2-0 to Juventus, leaving Albert Celades’ side 26th in the league-phase standings.
Match preview
This is just Chelsea’s third ever meeting with Cypriot opposition, winning 1-0 away and drawing 2-2 at home with APOEL Nicosia in the 2009/10 Champions League previously.
This is Pafos’ first ever meeting with English opposition. Cypriot sides have only won one of their 21 meetings with English teams in all competitions (D3 L17), with AEK Larnaca winning 1-0 at Crystal Palace in this season’s UEFA Conference League.
The Blues are unbeaten in their last 14 home games in the Champions League group stage/league phase (W10 D4), winning the last five in a row, including all three this season, by an aggregate score of 9-1.
The Pafians are yet to score away from home in the Champions League, with two 0-0 draws being followed by a 2-0 loss at Juventus last time out.
Of teams in the bottom 12 coming into this round of matches, only Benfica (8) have conceded fewer goals than Pafos (9). This despite the Cypriot side facing more shots than the other side in the Champions League this season (123).
In terms of average age, this fixture will see the side with the youngest starting XI in the Champions League this season (24y 21d for Chelsea) face the team with the oldest (30y 96d for Pafos).
Cole Palmer has been involved in four goals in his last three appearances in major European competition for Chelsea (1 goal, 3 assists), though he’s not featured since netting against Bayern Munich on MD1 this season.
18-year-old Estêvão has scored in all three of his Champions League starts for Chelsea. The only teenager to score in each of his first four starts in the competition is Kylian Mbappé (2017), the only Brazilian to do so is Elpídio Silva (2001), while no Chelsea player has ever done so.
Pafos’ David Luiz won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012. The Brazilian has scored in two of his last three appearances at Stamford Bridge in the competition, with PSG in March 2015 and for the Blues against Roma in October 2017.
Team news
Chelsea
Tosin Adarabioyo came off in the Brentford win and Rosenior has confirmed that the defender will be out for “some weeks” with an hamstring issue.
Jamie Gittens, Estevao and Malo Gusto have resumed training and could be in contention for selection, while Enzo Fernandez is a doubt as he’s down with illness.
Long-term absentees Levi Colwill and Romeo Lavia are unavailable with injuries.
Pafos FC
Fomer Blue David Luiz could miss out on a reunion with his old club after he came off in his side’s defeat at the weekend.
David Goldar and Joao Correira are also a doubt for the trip to London.
Predicted line-ups
Chelsea: Petrovic, Acheampong, Fofana, Badiashile, Hato, Caicedo, Santos, George, Estevao, Garnacho, Delap.
Pafos FC: Michail, Bruno, Luckassen, Langa, Pileas, Pepe, Sunjic, Quina, Dragomic, Silva, Orsic.