Chelsea v Sevilla betting tips
Chelsea did enough to finish in the Premier League top four last season despite a transfer embargo which led to Frank Lampard fielding some youthful line-ups throughout the season although he also inherited some quality players from his predecessors.
The Blues therefore remain in the Champions League and they have been grouped with Sevilla, Rennes and Krasnodar. On first glance, it doesn’t look too challenging a section for the London side, although they begin with a difficult clash against Sevilla who are clearly among one of the better teams in Spain.
Can Chelsea Win This Season’s Champions League?
Frank Lampard has been given a massive war chest when it comes to player recruitment over the past few months and the Chelsea manager has now got to put all the ingredients together and make a fantastic cake which will please owner Roman Abramovich.
We know that winning the Champions League takes some doing, although bet365’s 20/1 about Chelsea might end up looking like a massive price considering that they have managed to recruit the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Thiago Silva.
Silva captained Paris Saint-Germain to last season’s final and there are signs that Chelsea are getting their act together on the pitch, with the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic yet to be seen this season. Perhaps the Blues are capable of going deeper than the last sixteen stage which was managed last season.
Are Sevilla Capable of Landing Victory at Stamford Bridge?
Sevilla finished fourth in last season’s La Liga with the team level on points with Atletico Madrid and only twelve behind Barcelona in the end. Manager Julen Lopetegui also guided the Spanish side to a Europa League victory which saw them beat Internazionale in an entertaining final.
Indeed, Sevilla have an excellent pedigree when it comes to European competition and they will try to follow the example of Valencia who stunned Chelsea in the first game of the group stage last season. The early signs have been encouraging for a team who now have Ivan Rakitic operating in the midfield department.
Sevilla recently claimed a 1-1 draw away to Barcelona, with French defender Jules Kounde looking like a rock at the back for the visitors, while Luuk de Jong scored at the Nou Camp and there’s a reasonable chance that we will see the outsiders keep things tight in this clash.
What Are the Best Bets For This Match?
It should be noted that Chelsea and Sevilla are the favourites to emerge from Group E and that a draw wouldn’t be the worst outcome considering that they might have easier matches to come against Rennes and Krasnodar.
It’s a match that the Blues will definitely not want to lose and perhaps we’ll see a tight game being played out considering that Sevilla pushed Bayern Munich close in the Super Cup while they also managed to land a 1-1 draw away to Barcelona.
Chelsea are also starting to look tighter from a defensive point-of-view, with Cesar Azpilicueta recently returning as right-back and Ben Chilwell has slotted into the left-back position, while Edouard Mendy is the new keeper with a point to prove between the sticks.
We think that this game could be chess-like and ultimately end all square, with the draw is attractively priced at 13/5 with Paddy Power. We wouldn’t put anyone off the idea of backing Sevilla on the Asian Handicap with half a goal start but there are the bets we recommend.