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Champions League: Chelsea Hunt For Playoff Spot Against Relentless Qarabag Side In Round 4

by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga

image Champions League: Chelsea Hunt For Playoff Spot Against Relentless Qarabag Side In Round 4
The final day of Round 4 of this Champions League Phase features an intriguing early kick-off game as Qarabag FK hosts Chelsea in Azerbaijan. What makes this game interesting is how difficult it could be for the Blues, despite what the betting odds suggest. Qarabag have already won two of their three games as the underdog. The question now is whether they can add Chelsea to that list.

Free Scoring Qarabag FK Side Eyes Shock Home Victory Over Chelsea

Against all the odds, Qarabag FK hopes to pull off a home win, or maybe even a draw, against Chelsea, after doing it in Round 1 and 2, beating Benfica 3-2 away and Copenhagen 2-0 at home. Their run ended in Round 3 against Athletic Bilbao, with a 3-1 loss on the road. They now host Chelsea in what will be their toughest game so far.

For insights into the outcome of this game, check out our expert's best Qarabag vs Chelsea prediction.

Qarabag FK should still be walking into this game with a healthy level of confidence and determination, given their tournament performances so far and recent scoring form. In 18 competitive games this season, Qarabag has scored in 16 games and scored multiple goals in 11.

What's even more interesting is that Qarabag has scored in all nine Champions League games they've played (netting 21 goals in total), which included qualification and playoff games. So, even if Qarabag FK loses, we expect them to put up a fight.​

Chelsea Aims to Secure Playoff Spot With Routine Win in Azerbaijan

For Chelsea, their game against Azerbaijan would be a golden opportunity to enter the playoff spot (top 8) after Round 4, especially as this is their easiest game so far. After a crushing opening day 3-1 away defeat to Bayern, Chelsea quickly turned things around with two back-to-back home wins against Benfica (1-0) and Ajax (5-1).

Now the Blues travel to Azerbaijan in search of three wins in a row, and specifically a big enough one that could see them mathematically finish Round 4 in 3rd place. And such a huge win isn't out of the question, as the last time Chelsea met Qarabag in the Champions League (in 2017), the Blues won 10-0 on aggregate.

Yet, it is shaping up to be a difficult game in reality, especially given Chelsea's consistency in conceding away goals this season. Of the eight away games, Chelsea have allowed goals in six games, conceding a total of 12 goals. Against a Qarabag side that's scored in all nine UCL games so far, Chelsea might once again need multiple goals to seal the win.​

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