Champions League: Chelsea Look to Clinch Top Spot at Sevilla

Champions League: Chelsea Look to Clinch Top Spot at Sevilla

Sevilla FC vs Chelsea

Sevilla and Chelsea are already through to the Champions League round of 16 after collecting 10 points from their first three matches.

But there’s still the small matter of top spot in Group E up for grabs when they meet in the Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium in Seville.

Chelsea currently have a slight advantage and avoiding defeat would go a long way toward securing first place over the Spanish side.

Both clubs will come into this crucial match in fine form, which is why the Champions League 2020 betting odds figure to be quite tight.

Talking Points

Sevilla have steadied the ship

After going through a rough patch to start the season, Sevilla appear to be back to their best. They have now picked up five straight wins in all competitions after their 0-1 win over Huesca over the weekend as they are keeping pace in a competitive La Liga.

Granted, they haven’t faced the stiffest competition during that stretch — they beat three struggling La Liga sides and Krasnodar twice in the Champions League — but their confidence will nonetheless be high for their second meeting with Chelsea.

Youssef En-Nesyri, who scored the winner against Huesca, has been instrumental in Sevilla’s return to form. The Moroccan international has scored five goals in his last six appearances for the club.

En-Nesyri’s emergence has provided Sevilla with the attacking spark they’ve desperately needed this season with last season’s top scorer, Lucas Ocampos, struggling to deliver goals.

But despite his impressive form of late, manager Julen Lopetegui has opted to use En-Nesyri as an impact substitute and is likely to keep him in reserve once again.

En-Nesyri completely changed the game when he come on in their first meeting against Krasnodar. He scored twice en route to a 3-2 win.

Meanwhile, Ivan Rakitic was rested against Huesca and should be fresh for their match against Chelsea. The veteran midfielder has been in fine form of late, scoring in both meetings against Krasnodar.

Chelsea continue excellent run

Chelsea’s impressive six-match winning streak finally came to an end over the weekend as they were held to a goalless draw by Tottenham. Nevertheless, the Blues’ unbeaten run remains intact and is now up to 14 matches in all competitions (eight wins, six draws).

After a concerning start to the season, Frank Lampard has done a terrific job shoring up Chelsea’s shaky defence. The Blues have conceded just two goals in their last nine matches, a run which began when they held Sevilla to a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge.

Lampard has a completely healthy squad to choose from for this Champions League tie, so he may opt to make some changes. Kai Havertz, who has only just returned from Covid, and the now-healthy Christian Pulisic both came on as substitutes against Spurs and could be in line for starts in Spain.

Whatever side Lampard decides to put out, he will still have a star-studded bench at his disposal in case he needs to change the game. Olivier Giroud remains quite reliable whenever he’s been called upon; the veteran French forward scored a late winner in Chelsea’s last Champions League match at Rennes.

History

This will be just the second meeting between the two sides. They played out a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge in their first group match.

That result extended Sevilla’s impressive unbeaten run against English opposition to seven matches. Sevilla’s last home loss to a Premier League side came all the way back in 2015 against Manchester City.

As for Chelsea, the last time they beat a Spanish side was in 2017, when they topped Atletico Madrid 1-2 in Madrid.

Betting Tip

Under 2.50 @ 1.90

SBOTOP odds have Sevilla as slight 2.73 underdogs at home, with Chelsea priced at 2.55 to pick up the away win. Meanwhile, a draw is 3.20.

The draw is an intriguing pick, as their first meeting showed how evenly matched the two sides are. But the under appears to be a safer bet to make for this match.

With both clubs already qualified, neither side is likely to go all out for the win. Chelsea, in particular, will be more than satisfied with a draw away from home. With Chelsea’s renewed defensive solidity, Sevilla could struggle to break them down if the visitors decide to play for the draw, which will lead to a low-scoring affair at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

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