Ericson Mangoli
Stamford Bridge will host a mouthwatering Champions League contest on Tuesday night as Chelsea welcome Europa League holders Sevilla in Group E.
(African Stand) — Chelsea begins their Champions League campaign by hosting the Spanish side Sevilla in Tuesday night’s group stage opener.
The Blues reached the last-16 of last season’s competition, where they were hammered 7-1 on aggregate by eventual winners Bayern Munich.
Frank Lampard has added some serious Champions League experience to his squad this summer, including Thiago Silva, who played in last year’s final for PSG.
Sevilla, meanwhile, qualified for this year’s competition after winning the Europa League for a record sixth time last season.
Date, time, and venue
Chelsea vs Sevilla is scheduled for an 8 pm BST kick-off on Tuesday, October 20.
The match will be behind closed doors at Stamford Bridge with no fans due to being present due to government guidelines regarding coronavirus.
Team news
Chelsea will be without goalkeeper Edouard Mendy who has a thigh injury, so Lampard must decide whether to stick with under-fire Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal or bring in Willy Caballero.
Thiago Silva is available after missing Saturday’s draw with Southampton because of jet-lag, while Hakim Ziyech could play a fuller role after making his return from injury as a substitute against the Saints.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
This will be the first-ever meeting between the sides, who have won the last two renewals of the Europa League between them.
Prediction: Chelsea 2-2 Sevilla
Timo Werner and Kai Havertz are looking more and more settled after both opening their Premier League accounts at the weekend but Chelsea remains vulnerable at the back, particularly with Mendy absent. Entertaining draw.
