Chelsea Basel odds : Chelsea look to repeat same result as last year’s Europa League semi-final
Latest Chelsea v Basel odds as Paddy Power make the Blues a very short price in the latest Champions League betting.
Chelsea are overwhelming 1/3 favourites to breeze past Swiss champions Basel in their opening Group E game.
After defeating Basel in the semi-finals of the Europa League, Chelsea will be hoping that they can repeat the feat to get them off to the perfect start in this year’s Champions League.
The Blues will have added desire to win their second title in three years as Jose Mourinho looks to win the one trophy that avoided him during his previous tenure at Stamford Bridge.
Midweek Champions League Free Bets
Paddy Power are celebrating the midweek Champions League coupon by offering a free bet worth £100/€100 to customers to spend on any match this week, plus they’ll also refund bets should any of the Premier League teams draw! – claim here!
This was highlighted during the Portuguese manager’s press conference where he told the press: “I want to try to start the group phase by winning.
Last season Chelsea went outside his natural habitat, which is the Champions League. Chelsea went out to a competition that is not Chelsea’s competition. We don’t want to do that again.
It’s important for a team of kids. It’s very, very important for them to play on the big stage and the big stage is the Champions League”
Chelsea will be only have one notable absentee from their squad as Brazilian midfielder Ramires is suspended after getting sent off during the UEFA Super Cup loss to Bayern Munich in August.
Aside from that, it’s safe to expect that Mourinho will field a full strength line-up that we already know will include the attacking threats of Frank Lampard and Oscar.
Meanwhile, Willian could finally make his anticipated debut on Wednesday after the player was deemed fit enough to feature in the side after moving from Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala during the transfer window.
Basel will be hoping though that their slightly earlier start to the season will help their side be more prepared for the clash earlier on this season.
Aside from the July start to the Swiss Super League, Basel already had to come through the qualifying rounds to reach the group stages where they Bulgarian side Ludogorets Razgrad to reach the group stages.
Basel will have a fully strength squad and the Swiss side will be hoping that some of their more experienced figures such as Marco Streller and Mohamed Salah to help give the side some added potency.
Alongside that, the additions of Giovanni Sio and Ivan Ivanov over the summer will look to strengthen the side even further and help them replicate the form that got them to the Europa League semi-finals last season.
Nobody will be expecting Basel to beat Chelsea at home and even though the underdogs have the means to do some damage, Mourinho’s squad look to be too polished and fired up to slip up over the 90 minutes.
