Chelsea's Azerbaijani Assignment: Can the Blues Continue Their Qarabag Dominance?
As the UEFA Champions League rolls on, Chelsea makes the long trip to Azerbaijan to face Qarabag. For fans of the Blues, this fixture brings back memories of a goal-laden romp, but in football, past results are no guarantee of future success. Let's dive into the storylines shaping this intriguing clash.
The history between these two is brief but brutally one-sided. In the 2017-18 group stage, Chelsea was utterly ruthless, posting a 6-0 victory at home before completing the job with a 4-0 win away. That 10-goal tally is actually joint-highest for Chelsea in their first two meetings with any opponent in this competition. For Qarabag, the narrative against English opposition is grim. They’ve lost all seven of their European games against English clubs, conceding 21 times and scoring just a single goal—a penalty against Tottenham back in 2015. They’ve been shut out in all six matches since.
However, writing off the home side would be a mistake. Under manager Enzo Maresca, Chelsea has been a force in international games, winning 20 of their 23 outings and scoring in every single one, averaging a blistering 2.9 goals per game. But a potential vulnerability lies in their recent away form in the Champions League. The Blues are currently on a three-game losing streak on their travels, and another defeat would see them equal an unwanted club record of four consecutive away losses, last suffered over two decades ago.
Qarabag, meanwhile, is showing they are a much-improved outfit from their last Champions League foray. They’ve already snatched six points from their first three games, a stark contrast to the mere two points they managed in six matches in 2017-18. Their attack has also come alive, having already tripled their goal output from that previous campaign. After a historic 2-0 home win over Copenhagen last time out, they are now aiming for back-to-back home Champions League victories for the first time ever. The stage is set for a potential banana skin.
Players to Watch:
Chelsea's Youthful Energy: The Blues have already used 25 different players this campaign—more than any other team—and have fielded the second-youngest starting XI. This points to a deep, vibrant squad.
Estêvão's Moment: The young Brazilian scored his first UCL goal last time out. If he nets again, he’ll become the first South American teenager to score in consecutive appearances in the competition.
Moisés Caicedo's Metronome: The midfielder has been a picture of composure, completing 92.9% of his passes under high-pressure, ranking him third among all midfielders in the tournament.
This is more than a simple David vs. Goliath story. It’s a clash between Chelsea’s established European pedigree and Qarabag’s burgeoning belief that they can cause an upset on their own turf.
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