Our betting expert expects Chelsea to put in a professional performance and emerge victorious against Pafos.
Best bets for Chelsea vs Pafos
- BTTS - No at odds of 1.74 on 1xBet
- Anytime goalscorer - Joao Pedro at odds of 1.98 on 1xBet
- Handicap - Chelsea to win with -2 handicap at odds of 1.68 on 1xBet
- Are you new to Bet9ja and looking to claim your bonus? Take a moment to learn all about the Bet9ja Promotion Code for new Nigerian players
- If you haven't joined Bet9ja yet, don't miss out! Explore our comprehensive Bet9ja registration guide to effortlessly create your new account and start playing today.
- Discover the very top welcome bonuses and exclusive sign-up promotions currently available across all leading bookmakers in Nigeria.
Our analysis: Form of both teams
- Score prediction: Chelsea 3-0 Pafos
- Goalscorers prediction: Chelsea: Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Pedro Neto
Chelsea’s season suffered a slight setback when Enzo Maresca parted ways with the club recently. Liam Rosenior was appointed as his replacement. So far, he’s made a decent start to life in West London, winning two of their three games.
However, Rosenior will experience the first Champions League match when the Blues host Cypriot side Pafos on Wednesday night. Chelsea appear comfortable to qualify for the knockout stage of the competition, but automatic progress to the last 16 isn’t guaranteed.
The Club World Champions are in 13th place ahead of this round, but only two points outside automatic qualification for the last 16. Goal difference will be a decisive factor in these final two games, so the home side will want to win convincingly.
Pafos are in danger of missing out on the knockout phase of the Champions League altogether. The Light Brigade have only won one of their six games in this competition. However, having only lost twice, they will be confident of avoiding defeat in this match.
The visitors are in a similar situation to Chelsea, as Albert Celades became head coach a day after Rosenior took over at the Blues. The two games he’s overseen produced a win and an away defeat last weekend.
Celedes is familiar with the UCL, having led Valencia to a last-16 finish in the 2019/20 season. It might be too soon for him to turn around his new club’s campaign, but they will surely challenge Chelsea on Wednesday.
Probable lineups for Chelsea vs Pafos
Chelsea expected lineup: Jorgensen, James, Chalobah, Adarabioyo, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez, Neto, Palmer, Garnacho, Pedro
Pafos expected lineup: Michail, Luckassen, David Luiz, Goldar, Bruno, Sunjic, Pepe, Orsic, Correira, Dragomir, Silva
Struggling for away goals
Chelsea have been efficient in front of goal, having scored 13 goals in six matches. To put it into perspective, they’re joint-eighth among the 32 teams for the highest number of goals scored. While they’ve conceded eight goals in that run, Chelsea only let in one goal at Stamford Bridge.
Rosenior will be confident of keeping a clean sheet in this match, having done so across three home UCL matches. It is worth noting that one of those shutouts was against Barcelona. Additionally, the Blues have already prevented their opponents from scoring at home in the Premier League over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Pafos have struggled to score, as they’ve netted only four goals in six matches. The visitors will hope that Celades’ influence will change that. However, the fact that they’ve still not scored a goal away from home in this competition is worrying.
As a result, the hosts could keep another clean sheet in this match, especially if Rosenior opts for his experienced midfield duo of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez.
- Chelsea vs Pafos Betting Tip 1: BTTS - No at odds of 1.74 on 1xBet
Pedro to bounce back in form
Rosenior has several attacking players available, including Marc Guiu, Liam Delap, and Joao Pedro. However, it appears that the Brazilian is currently his favoured choice, after starting the last two games.
The former Brighton man started his Chelsea career strongly, but his form has since declined. While Pedro did find the back of the net against Brentford last weekend, that was his first goal after a four-game drought.
The forward will be eager to make his mark once again, especially in this competition. He was on the scoresheet in Chelsea’s last UCL match against Atalanta. Pedro is likely to bag a goal if he leads the line.
- Chelsea vs Pafos Betting Tip 2: Anytime goalscorer - Joao Pedro at odds of 1.98 on 1xBet
Backing the home record
The Blues have managed only two wins across their last eight games, which is not a good record. However, those two victories came under Rosenior’s guidance. It’s worth noting that Chelsea lost only two of their last 62 Europa League competition group/ league-phase games.
The Blues are unbeaten in their last 17 Champions League matches, having recorded 13 victories in that run, with their previous defeat coming in 2019. Interestingly, Pafos’ new manager, Celades, was in charge of Valencia when they won 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Despite him knowing a thing or two about winning at the Bridge, his team have only won two of their last seven Europa League competition matches. With this being their first-ever meeting, Chelsea are no doubt heavy favourites to secure a high-scoring victory.
- Chelsea vs Pafos Betting Tip 3: Handicap - Chelsea to win with -2 handicap at odds of 1.68 on 1xBet