Having secured an away goal on the road in their first leg tie in the Czech Republic last week, Chelsea's Europa League dreams are still burning bright as they return to Stamford Bridge to host Slavia Prague in the reverse tie.
Maurizio Sarri's side snatched a vital advantage thanks to Marcos Alonso's late effort and now the Blues will look to press themselves past their visitors when they welcome them to London.
A Premier League defeat to Liverpool on Sunday means they come into this game on the back of a demoralising loss, but with a domestic top four berth very much touch and go, their continental adventure may be their only passage to the Champions League.
Jindrich Trpisovsky will hope to galvanise his side into a comeback on the road, but will know that they face an uphill battle to knock the 2013 winners out of the competition.
| Game | Chelsea vs Slavia Prague |
| Date | Thursday, April 18 |
| Time | 8:00pm BST / 3:00pm EST |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game will be broadcast on Galavision. It can be streamed via B/R Live.
Next Match
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Galavision | B/R Live |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be broadcast on BT Sport 3 or can be streamed via BT Sport Live.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| BT Sport 3 | BT Sport Live |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Chelsea squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Kepa, Caballero, Bulka |
| Defenders | Rudiger, Alonso, Zappacosta, Cahill, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Emerson |
| Midfielders | Jorginho, Kante, Hazard, Barkley, Pedro, Loftus-Cheek, Ampadu, Hudson-Odoi, Moses, Willian, Kovacic |
| Forwards | Giroud, Higuain |
Maurizio Sarri makes five changes to the side that was beaten at Liverpool last weekend, though Eden Hazard retains his place.
Andreas Christensen comes in Antonio Rudiger, who picked up a knee problem in the defeat at Anfield. Ross Barkley, Pedro, Mateo Kovacic and Olivier Giroud also return to the starting line-up.
Chelsea starting XI: Kepa, Kante, Barkley, Hazard, Pedro, Kovacic, Giroud, Christensen, Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Emerson Palmieri.
| Position | Slavia Prague squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Kolar, Kovar, Kuciak |
| Defenders | Ngadeu Ngadjui, Deli, Kudela, Vlcek, Boril, Zeleny, Coufal, Frydrych |
| Midfielders | Soucek, Kral, Husbauer, Sevcik, Masopust, Zmrhal, Traore |
| Forwards | Stoch, Baluta, Van Buren, Olayinka, Skoda |
Jindrich Trpisovsky makes three changes to the side that drew with rivals Sparta Prague at the weekend with Ondrej Kudela, Petr Sevcik and Ibrahim Traore all returning to the side.
Slavia Prague starting XI : Kolar, Zmrhal, Ngadeu-Ngadjui, Kudela, Boril, Deli, Soucek, Sevcik, Traore, Masopust, Kra.
Betting & Match Odds
Chelsea are the odds-on favourites to take the win in this leg at 1/3 with bet365. Slavia Prague are priced at the more distant 10/1 while a draw is available at 9/2.
Match Preview
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With their chances of securing a top four spot in the Premier League very much hanging in the balance, Chelsea will know that success in the Europa League can not only bring them silverware but provide a stepping stone to reach next season's Champions League.
Maurizio Sarri has been considered to have had an uneven first season at the helm of the Blues, despite reaching the Carabao Cup final, and speculation swirls over whether he will still be in charge come the new term.
If it is to be the only year of his tenure in charge, then the Italian will be keen to leave his mark throughout the last few months of the current campaign - and can make a further positive impression with success on the continent when his side host Slavia Prague at Stamford Bridge.
Marcos Alonso's late effort gave the hosts an away goal advantage after they visited the Czech Republic last week, but in the wake of their defeat to Liverpool on Sunday , they will be wary of any threat possessed.
Jindrich Trpisovsky's visitors are still rank outsiders however and their manager has admitted that his side have been somewhat in awe of their visit to one of the giants of English football.
"I am very impressed by Chelsea," the Prague boss was quoted by the BBC. "We were really stunned and the whole environment here, and this is a great experience.
"The quality is just unreal, it's like being on a different planet. Obviously, we don't have that in the Czech Republic.
"I am very grateful that we can be here, and that we're playing here. We're going to war tomorrow, so we've got to be ready."
Trpisovsky also lavished praise on the in-form Eden Hazard who, like Sarri, could be about to draw his Chelsea career to a close .
"I think currently he's the best player in the world," he added.. "And I'd love for him to play tomorrow. If he plays tomorrow that means Chelsea take us seriously."
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