Chelsea

Chelsea v Everton Betting Preview
Both sides will be losing their managers at the end of the season with David Moyes taking on the job at Old Trafford, while Rafa Benitez departs Stamford Bridge after his interim position. Both will naturally want to sign off with a win. Everton don’t have anything to play for in this one, as they will finish in sixth place no matter what. However, Chelsea still have third place up for grabs. They start the day in third, two points clear of Arsenal. So the Blues just need to win to hold on to that place, otherwise they have to concern themselves with Arsenal’s result. The Blues should be in a confident mood though after winning the Europa League on Thursday night.

Chelsea v Everton Betting Odds at online bookmaker Bet365
Chelsea 8/13, Draw 14/5, Everton 9/2

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Chelsea v Everton Recommended Bet:
There is a scenario in which Chelsea could end up the season with the exact same record as Arsenal do. That would happen if Chelsea draw and Arsenal record a one goal margin win (that result depending on however many the Blues score). Should that scenario play out, then Chelsea and Arsenal would have a play off match to settle who finishes third and gets into the group stage of the Champions League. Fourth place finish means going through a qualification round. But a home win for Chelsea would simply avoid all of that. Should Chelsea only manage a draw and Arsenal win by a two goal margin or more, then the Blues would have to settle for fourth. So there is still one final effort from the Blues to come at the end of an exhausting season for them. Confidence shouldn’t be low though after being in good Premier League form and beating Benfica in the final of the Europa League during the week.

The Blues have gone unbeaten in their last seven Premier League fixtures now, and they have recorded wins in five of those. So they are powering their way to the end of the season. They also have a great record against the other top six sides this term. They have taken the most points off their fellow top six sides than any of the others have done. Just how much Chelsea have put into this season can be summed up by this being their 69th match of the entire season, whereas Everton will be playing just their 45th. A huge difference. At Stamford Bridge this term, Chelsea have posted a good W11 D5 L2 record and they have found the back of the net with good regularity, converting at a rate of 2.17 goals per game. They have conceded at a rate of under a goal per game, which should put them in good standing in this one. Interestingly though, only 50% of their home matches have gone over 2.5 goals.

Everton will carry their own threats as well though, as they are in pretty good shape. They are on a three match unbeaten streak at the moment and have lost just one of their last ten. They have also won their last five matches on the final day of the season and one of them was a win over Cheslea at the end of the 2010/11 season. However, that was at Goodison and Everton’s form at Stamford Bridge hasn’t been great at all. They have won just one of their last twenty Premier League trips to face Chelsea, and the Toffees haven’t recorded an away win in any of their last seven away games in the Premier League as it is. A reason why Everton have fallen outside of the European places is they they have taken just four points from eleven away matches against the current top five in the Premier League this season. In total in London, Everton have won just three of twenty matches in the capital since the start of the 2009/10 season.

Half of the last dozen Premier League matches between Everton and Chelsea have ended in a draw, and they have split wins between them in the other six matches. Three of the last four matches between them at Stamford Bridge in all competitions have ended in a draw too. Could be worth looking at a draw for value at 14/5 with online bookmaker Bet365.

Form
Chelsea WWDWW, Everton WDLWDW

Stat Attack
Six of the last twelve meetings have ended in a draw
Everton have won just one of their last 20 EPL matches at Stamford Bridge
The Toffees have won their last five final day fixtures in a row
Chelsea are unbeaten in their last seven EPL matches

 

Chelsea v Benfica Betting Preview
The two sides head to Amsterdam for the final of the Europa League on Wednesday night. Chelsea could become the first side to simultaneously hold both of UEFA’s top honours if they win. They have produced three wins from their previous four European Finals, whereas Benfica are on a six match losing streak. The Portuguese side lost a crucial domestic match against FC Porto on the weekend, a title decider in the Liga. Will that have a bearing on this outcome?

Chelsea v Benfica Betting Odds at online bookmaker Paddy Power
Chelsea 7/5, Benfica 21/10, Draw 9/4

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Chelsea v Benfica Recommended Bet:
The two sides have only come up against each other twice before, and that was in last season’s Champions League. It was Chelsea who took wins in both of the matches on their way to lifting the Champions League title. So there isn’t a great deal of history to look at between them, but both have had a fair amount of experience against clubs from the other country. The two wins against Benfica last season will give Chelsea some favouritism and they do start as favourites. Chelsea have only lost one of their last eight against Portuguese clubs, and recent form has seen them rattle off five wins in a row. All five of those matches too were won by a one goal margin as well, so that could be a trend worth riding. In four of those wins, Chelsea kept clean sheets as well.

So plenty of optimism around Chelsea for the Europa League final. They eased some pressure off themselves ahead of the trip to Amsterdam as well, by beating Aston Villa in the Premier League on the weekend. That secured them a place in the Champions League next season, so they can really look forward and focus on this one without any distractions. A win for Chelsea would make them the first ever club to win the top two UEFA honours in reverse order in consecutive seasons. They would also join an exclusive list of having made a clean sweep of all of UEFA’s top honours.

The Blues have come through a tough end of season run in, a congested fixture list and tough matches in the Premier League to try and secure a top four finish. They have been pushing out the results still though. This will be Chelsea’s fifth major European final, and their strike rate has been great, winning three of the past four. Fernando Torres has been going well in Europe, scoring five goals in the Europa League this season, while Juan Mata has provided the second highest amount of assists in European competitions this season. Victor Moses is another one to watch, scoring in each of Chelsea’s last four Europa League matches.

As for Benfica, their big danger man is Oscar Cardozo. The striker has banged in five goals in his last five Europa League matches. Not only that, he has netted in six of Benfica’s last ten matches against English sides. He has scored eight in those ten matches, so definitely the Chelsea defence will have to watch for hm. Benfica have been one of the strongest sides in Europe this season, and they have lost just one of their last 11 continental fixtures (which was the first leg of the semi final against Fenerbahce). That semi final defeat was the first loss that they had slipped to in 38 competitive games. Incidentally, the first ever match that Benfica played in Amsterdam, resulted in them beating Real Madrid in the 1962 European Cup Final. They have lost their last six European finals though.

Benfica have a lot of strength, speed and creativity when they get themselves forward. This may not be as straight forward for Chelsea as the odds suggest. But the Blues are in good form, they may have the extra edge of professionalism in their side and a Chelsea One Goal Winning Margin for a price of 3/1 at online bookmaker Paddy Power looks good.

Form
Chelsea WWWWDW, Benfica WLWDL

Stat Attack
Benfica have lost their last six European finals
Chelsea have won three of their four previous European finals
Chelsea have lost one of eight previous meetings against Portuguese clubs
Benfica’s Oscar Cardozo has eight goals in his last ten against English sides

Chelsea v Tottenham Betting Preview
Here is the big battle of the week for a place in the Champions League. Both Chelsea and Spurs are in good form, but they are both still in a battle with Arsenal for the two places left in the Champions League next term. This has the makings of being a real classic, especially with Tottenham needing to redress the balance after losing at home to Chelsea earlier in the season. Chelsea go into this home match full of confidence after a win at Old Trafford. Will that keep their home unbeaten Premier League run against Spurs going? Defeat for Spurs would leave their Champions League dreams hanging.

Chelsea v Tottenham Betting Odds at online bookmaker Bet Victor
Chelsea 10/11, Draw 13/5, Spurs 3/1

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Chelsea benefitted late on at Old Trafford on the weekend thanks to a red card being shown to Manchester United’s Rafael. Online bookmaker Bet Victor have a great Red Card Refund promotion running for the Chelsea v Spurs match. If a Red Card is shown at any time during the match, the bookmaker will refund all losing Correct Score, First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Scorecast and Man of the Match bets up to the maximum of £50. New customers registering an account with online bookmaker Bet Victor can get up to a free £25 bet as a welcome bonus.

Chelsea v Tottenham Recommended Bet:
Rafa Benitez scored a massive victory for Chelsea’s Champions League hopes with a 1-0 win at Old Trafford on Sunday. A late goal by Juan Mata gave the Blues the three crucial points, but there is still a lot of hard work to do, in what has been a tough run in for them. Chelsea have been strong at home this season, posting a W11 D4 L2 record for the term and the goals have been steadily converted at a rate of 2.18 per game at the Bridge. Defensively they haven’t given much away, conceding at a rate of 0.76 goals per game. They are currently on a six match winning streak at home as well. In total, they have lost just one of their last eight in the top flight, and the Blues take an unbeaten home Premier League record against Tottenham into the game. Juan Mata, who scored two in the 4-2 win at White Hart Lane earlier in the season, has three goals in his last two matches.

Three more points here would just about confirm a top four finish for Chelsea, as they would be six points clear of Spurs with just two games to play, and have a far superior goal difference. So the pressure is really on Spurs to turn up and record a win here. Andre Villas-Boas’s men are unbeaten in their last five in the top flight and it was that man Gareth Bale who just kept them in the hunt as he netted a late winner at home against Southampton on the weekend. That was the fourth game in a row in which he converted, eleven in his last eleven. While Spurs are unbeaten in their last five, they are on a sequence of WDWDW so they should be due a draw. However, a first ever Premier League win for Spurs at Stamford Bridge would pull them level on points with Chelsea and in with a real shout of Champions League football next season. They have failed to win in twenty previous EPL visits to their London rivals.

Spurs have only failed to score once away from home this season, but they have lost four of their five away matches against top seven sides. Spurs have posted a W9 D3 L5 record for the season and on the road, they have scored at a rate of 1.9 goals per game. Defensively, they haven’t been that sound though on their travels, conceding at a rate of 1.5 per game. They have also conceded in each of their last four away games. The stakes are massive for Spurs in this one, going into the big match sitting fifth, two points behind Arsenal. Defeat could be costly for them.

Chelsea have been working so hard of late and Spurs aren’t going to be a pushover. There shouldn’t be too much between them and a draw could be worth looking at in this one, but Spurs have lost four of their five away games against top seven teams this season and a Draw/Chelsea Half Time/Full Time bet at online bookmaker Bet Victor for a price of 4/1 could be worth looking at.

Form
Chelsea WDWWWW, Spurs DDDWDW

Stat Attack
Spurs have lost 4 of their 5 away games against top seven sides this term
Tottenham have won one of the last three on the road
Chelsea are on a six match winning streak at home
The Blues have scored in each of their last seven home games

 

Chelsea v FC Basel Betting Preview
The Blues are favourites with the bookmakers to take a victory in this first leg of their Europa League encounter. However, they have been struggling on the road in Europe, while the Swiss side have been producing some very solid home form, including knockout out Tottenham in the last round. Basel are aiming to become the first ever Swiss side in the final of a European competition, while Chelsea are aiming to make a clean sweep of all UEFA’s major titles. This is looking as if it is simply a match up between Basel’s home form and Chelsea’s shaky away form in Europe. Are the Blues in for a shock or will their experience tell?

Chelsea v FC Basel Betting Odds at online bookmaker Ladbrokes
Chelsea 13/10, Basel 19/10, Draw 12/5

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Chelsea v FC Basel Recommended Bet:
The reason why Chelsea aren’t priced a lot shorter in this match is because of all the troubles which they have been having on the road. Both of their last away matches in the competition have ended in defeat, losing at Steaua Bucharest and then against Russian side Rubin Kazan in the quarter finals. They have just about done enough to get through, but their away form has to be called into questions. They have lost four of their last five away games in European competition now, not something which will warrant backing them heavily on Thursday night perhaps. They have looked as if they have just had enough in the tank to get through some tight duels all the way through this season’s Europa League and they haven’t looked thoroughly convincing at times simply because of their away form. Overall, in their limited UEFA Cup matches, they have posted just a W2 D0 L5 away record.

Eleven times previously Chelsea have made it to the semi final of a major European competition and only on four of those times have they progressed. They have gone up against Swiss opposition just once before as well, losing out 2-1 on aggregate as St Gallen in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup first round. Chelsea were denied a win at Liverpool in the Premier League on the weekend, denting their chances of a top three finish a little bit. The Blues have played a lot of games this season. It has certainly been a long, tough one for them and this will be their 62nd match of the season across all competitions. This could be a trickier match than many will be expecting for the Blues, given their poor form on the road and how strong the Swiss side are at home. Chelsea haven’t lost three away matches in a row in Europe since May 2005. The key to all of this could be Chelsea landing an away goal on Thursday night, something which should set them up well for the return leg at Stamford Bridge.

As for FC Basel, this is the first time they have been in the semi final of a European competition. In beating Spurs in the last round, edging past the Premier League in a penalty shoot out, they recorded their first ever knockout win against an English side. Basel have only recorded two wins from 15 previous matches against English sides, famously one of them being against Manchester United at St Jakobs Park in the 2011/12 Champions League group stage, eliminating the Red Devils. Their home form is not to be messed with, currently they are on an eight match unbeaten streak at home in Europe, winning six and drawing the other two. They have scored a competition high of six goals from corners in this season’s competition. Basel have drawn four of their last six games in all competitions and that may not be a bad way to go. They look pretty good with their pace in wide attacking areas.

Chelsea may just need to put in a solid performance here and get a crucial away goal. They have the better European experience to call upon and it may be worth calling on a Draw/Draw Half Time/Full Time bet at online bookmaker Ladbrokes for a price of 4/1.

Form
FC Basel WDDDWD, Chelsea WWLLWD

Stat Attack
Chelsea have scored in their last 11 matches
FC Basel are unbeaten in their last eight European home matches
Chelsea have lost four of their last five away games in Europe
FC Basel have won just two of 15 matches against English opponents

 

Liverpool v Chelsea Betting Preview
One of the big games of the weekend takes place at Anfield, as the return of former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez takes centre stage. His Chelsea side really need a win in the north west in order to keep up their challenge for a top three finish. However, their poor recent record in the Premier League against Liverpool puts that in jeopardy. Liverpool have been struggling to put wins on the board themselves in their last few games, but will no doubt have the extra incentive to take a win against the former boss.

Liverpool v Chelsea Betting Odds at online bookmaker Paddy Power
Liverpool 23/20, Draw 12/5, Chelsea 9/4

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Liverpool v Chelsea Recommended Bet:
The chances of the Reds getting into Europe next season are looking pretty slim, with Brendan Rodgers’ men losing some valuable points recently. They have taken just one win of their last four in the Premier League, a narrow win over relegation threatened Aston Villa. A defeat against Southampton and back to back goalless draws against West Ham and Reading has seen them lose ground. As in the Reading game, the chances are being created but are not being taken and even Luis Suarez has gone 429 minutes without getting on the scoresheet. So while they aren’t playing bad, it is just that finishing power in the final third which is letting them down at times. A familiar story of late with the Reds.

Still, the Reds have lost just one of their last seven matches in the Premier League now, going down 3-1 at Southampton. Their lack of finishing prowess in the last two matches has really hurt them though and they go into the weekend a distant eight points out of fifth spot, so there likely won’t be enough time left in the season for them to muscle their way into Europe. It certainly won’t happen if they lose this one. But they have gone well against Chelsea recently, winning four of their last five against the Blues, the other match a draw at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season. So the return of Liverpool’s most ever successful Premier League manager is on the cards, and Rafa Benitez needs to get one over on his former club if Chelsea are going to keep up a strong challenge for third place.

The Blues didn’t really hit top gear against Fulham, but they ran out 3-0 winners at Craven Cottage, all goals coming from defence. They have had such a busy period lately that squad rotation has had to come into play and they will be back in Europe against on Thursday in the Europa League semi final. But they need three big points here, but a draw at the end of the day may not be a disaster. The Blues have won just one of their last six visits to Anfield though in the Premier League and they have failed to score in three of those six matches. Chelsea do have the second best defensive record in the league this season, and current form has seen them win four of their last five in the Premier League, with three clean sheets along the way. Frank Lampard remains vitally important for them, and the Blues have won 71% of games in which he has appeared this season, winning just one of eight without him.

This should be a close contest between the two, especially after the draw earlier in the season. It may not be worth looking beyond that, even though Chelsea have to hungry for the important points. Liverpool should be fresher and a 1 Goal Winning margin for them is trading at good value of 3/1 with online bookmaker Paddy Power.

Form
Liverpool WWLWDD, Chelsea WWWLLW

Stat Attack
The Blues have only taken two wins from their last 12 league against Liverpool
Liverpool have won four and drawn one of the last five against Chelsea in the EPL
Suarez has gone 429 minutes without a league goal, Torres has gone 907 minutes
Chelsea have the second best defensive record in the league

 

Fulham v Chelsea Betting Preview
The Premier League is in its final stretch now, and this London derby sees Chelsea playing a bit of catch up in the race for a top five finish. The Blues have to knuckle back down to business now after losing their grip on the FA Cup in defeat against Man City on Sunday. As for Fulham, they are aiming for a top half of the table finish, but the wins have just been deserting Martin Jol’s men of late. But will the Whites be able to take advantage of Chelsea fatigue?

Fulham v Chelsea Betting Odds at online bookmaker Betfair
Chelsea 10/11, Draw 5/2, Fulham 3/1

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Fulham v Chelsea Recommended Bet:
The Whites don’t have a strong history against Chelsea, winning just one of their previous 23 Premier League meetings with their London rivals. They are currently on a stretch of thirteen matches against Chelsea without a win, but seven of those have been draws. Martin Jol’s men frustrated Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in a 0-0 draw back at the end of November. They haven’t been in too bad of form lately, losing just one of their last seven in the Premier League. At Craven Cottage they have won the last two back to back (both by a one goal margin) and they have scored at a rate of 1.7 goals per game on home soil. They have been fairly tight at the back at home, conceding at a rate of 1.3 per game. 67% of their home matches have gone over 2.5 goals this season in the top flight.

After beating Spurs and QPR though, Fulham were humbled at Newcastle and then held to a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa on the weekend. But with three home wins out of the last four (the anomaly a defeat against Man United) they could be in good shape here. Dimitar Berbatov has scored four goals in his last three Premier League home games for Fulham. So will the Whites be able to take advantage of the busy fixture list Chelsea have been suffering through? Rafa Benitez’s men had to play a Europa League match on Thursday night, before taking on Man City in the FA Cup semi final on Sunday. Sunday’s match was draining for a lot of the Chelsea crew, who have played so many games this season. It could well be a factor in this match and therefore make Fulham value.

Chelsea have won none of their last four Premier League away matches, and making worse reading than that, is they have lost the last three in a row. They have taken hits at Newcastle, Man City and Southampton on the road and that makes them not great value at a short price here. Chelsea’s away record this season is pretty average, just W7 D3 L5 and they have scored at a rate of 1.7 goals per game on the road, conceding at a rate of 1.3 on their travels. Chelsea have taken 14 points from eight London derbies this season (W4 D2 L2), and have conceded at a rate of just a goal per game in them. There is also the fact that Rafa Benitez has never lost in the Premier League against Martin Jol.

A tough game to call, but the energy of Fulham could be enough to dampen the spirits of the Blues some more. The Blues need the points in the race for a Champions League spot, but the Whites may just nick this. Fulham are great value to win outright at 3/1 with online bookmaker Betfair.

Form
Fulham WDWWLD, Chelsea LWWWLL

Stat Attack
The Whites have only failed to score in two of their home matches this season
The last four derbies between the two have ended in draws
Martin Jol has never won a game against Rafa Benitez as coach in the Premier League
Fulham have won just one of 23 EPL meetings with Chelsea

 

Chelsea v Man City Betting Preview
The winner of this second semi final will go into the final itself as red hot favourites. This is the big semi final showdown and it may offer the chance of consolation after both have seen their Premier League title dreams shot down by Man United. The current momentum in meetings between these two is with Man City, but Chelsea are on a long unbeaten stretch in the FA Cup. What will give on Sunday at Wembley?

Chelsea v Man City Betting Odds at online bookmaker Ladbrokes
Man City 13/10, Chelsea 23/10, Draw 5/2

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Chelsea v Man City Recommended Bet:
Even though they have been well out of the title race in the Premier League, Rafa Benitez could yet finish his stint with Chelsea with some silverware. The Blues booked their place in the semi finals of the Europa League on Thursday night and after such a busy period for the London side, the step back into action on Sunday against City. The Blues are the reigning FA Cup champions and they have consistently been a very good cup side. currently they are on a run of 29 FA Cup matches unbeaten (excluding shoot outs). In that run of 29 matches, Chelsea have won 23 and drawn six. So they are a pretty powerful cup side. Including last year’s win, they have taken the FA Cup four times in the last six years. They had a massive moment against Manchester United in the last round to set up this semi final clash. After being two goals down early at Old Trafford, the Blues managed to fight back and take the tie to a replay, which they won on home soil. Along the way they have beaten Southampton, Brentford and Middlesbrough too. The Blues have netted thirteen goals and have kept clean sheets in three of their games. Juan Mata has assisted on five goals in the FA Cup so far.

But for all of Chelsea’s power in the FA Cup in recent times, they have been struggling against Man City on all fronts in recent times. City have the better of the head to head, winning two of the three previous FA Cup meetings against Chelsea. They have stamped their authority over the Blues this season, beating them at the Etihad in the league, winning the Community Shield and holding out for a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in the Premier League. City are also yet to have conceded a goal so far in this season’s competition and if they make it through to the final with a clean sheet, they will be the first ever side to have achieved that. Being that this is the only piece of silverware left for City this season, they really should be geared up for this one. Their Premier League win over Manchester United last Monday will have helped with their confidence as well. Both of Man City’s previous matches at Wembley in last season’s FA Cup ended in 1-0 wins, and their two previous FA Cup wins over Chelsea have been to nil as well. Carlos Tevez has fired in five FA Cup goals this season in his four matches played.

City to seem to have gotten a hold over Chelsea and that may well continue here. City have shut out Chelsea twice this season, worth looking at No on Both Teams to Score for 6/5 at online bookmaker Ladbrokes.

Stat Attack
Chelsea have won all seven matches played at the new Wembley in the FA Cup
Man City haven’t conceded a goal in the FA Cup this season yet
City have won three of the last four against Chelsea
Chelsea have won two of their last 8 against City in all competitions

Chelsea v Sunderland Betting Preview
Blues boss Rafa Benitez came under fire last weekend for fielding a much changed side in a defeat at Southampton. He redeemed himself with an FA Cup win over Man United, but the loss at Southampton has made their fight for a top four three place a lot tougher. It has been a busy week for the Blues, can they return to winning ways. What influence will the arrival of Paulo Di Canio have on the Black Cats?

Chelsea v Sunderland Betting Odds at online bookmaker Bet365
Chelsea 1/3, Draw 4/1, Sunderland 9/1

Chelsea v Sunderland Recommended Bet:
The Blues still have work to do to book an automatic return to the Champions League next season. They are two points out of third place heading into the weekend, but with a game in hand over 3rd placed Spurs. Arsenal have closed the gap behind them though to just two points. So the pressure is on for a strong finish, and this will be their fourth game in the space in eight days. Still, the trend in the head to head is all with the Blues, as they have won 15 of their last 16 top flight clashes with Sunderland. The Blues are also unbeaten in five league matches at Stamford Bridge, winning the last four in a row now. So they have form and will go into the match as firm favourites, and could well deliver another relegation blow to the Black Cats. Chelsea’s last two home wins, against West Ham and West Brom, both came with a clean sheet, so too their FA Cup win last Monday against Manchester United.

They may need some squad shuffling again, but should have enough quality to win this one at the end of the day. They took a comfortable 3-1 win at the Stadium of Light earlier in the season which included a brace from Fernando Torres. The Spaniard has actually scored six times against the Black Cats in the Premier League. They are his joint favourite opponents along with West Ham. Sunderland have gradually been sucked into a relegation battle and another defeat here could see them in trouble. They have not managed to record a win in any of their last eight games in the top flight now, drawing three and losing five. It was a miserbale run of form that prompted the sacking of Martin O’Neill and they wasted no time in bringing in Paulo Di Canio. The Italian will no doubt get his new troops geed up, but they will still be heavy underdogs, as they are lacking quality, and it has to be said, a bit of fight.

Sunderland have posted a W3 D4 L8 record away from home this season, scoring just sixteen in their fifteen matches on the road. They are a side lacking confidence and wins for Villa and Wigan and anything less than a win at the Bridge for the Black Cats would see Sunderland in the relegation zone. Chelsea have the quality at the end of the day and would look for a Draw/Chelsea Half Time/Full Time result at a price of 3/1 with online bookmaker Bet365.

Form
Chelsea LDWWLW, Sunderland LLDLDL

Stat Attack
The Black Cats have scored seven goals in their last seven games
Sunderland are without a win in their last eight EPL Matches
Chelsea have won the last four at Stamford Bridge in the league
The Blues have won 15 of their last 16 EPL clashes against Sunderland

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Chelsea v Rubin Kazan Betting Preview
The Blues will be hoping to round off a busy week of action with another success. After resting players for a Premier League defeat at Southampton, 48 hours later they were beating Man United in the FA Cup quarter final. Now they switch to European duty as they continue their quest to make a clean sweep of major UEFA club titles. They are heavy favourites, but the Russians have been showing some good away form of late.

Chelsea v Rubin Kazan Betting Odds at online bookmaker Ladbrokes
Chelsea 1/2, Draw 3/1, Rubin Kazan 6/1

Chelsea v Rubin Kazan Recommended Bet:
This is the first meeting between the two sides, but the Bleus have recorded good form in their limited match ups with Russian sides. They have taken four wins from four against Russian sides (two at home and two away), and in those four matches, they have only conceded one goal as well. Starting at home, they should take some ascendancy here. At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea are on an 11 match unbeaten streak in Europe, not having lost there since Man United beat then in the 2010/11 Champions League quarter finals.

There has also been a great return in front of goal from the Blues as well in those eleven matches, having scored 32 at just under a rate of three per game. They are unbeaten in six UEFA Cup/Europa League matches at the Bridge as well, never having lost in this competition. It is fair to say that Chelsea really haven’t performed in Europe at all this season, but still they are favourites to win the tournament outright. A clean sheet on Thursday night and they’ll probably have one foot in the semi finals. Chelsea have to place big importance on the first leg, as Kazan have lost just three of their last 22 European matches on home soil.

This is the debut that Rubin are making in the quarter finals of a major UEFA tournament. They have been to London just once before, losing at Spurs in the 2011/12 Europa League group stage. They have found their feet away from home though recently, having posted a run of five matches unbeaten in Europe. They are on a trend as well, of DWDWD, so if that continues, then they should be posting a win at Stamford Bridge. The Russians do have their threats, both up front and thanks to a tight defence.

They have scored first in seven of their 10 Europa League matches this season. Striker Salomon Rondon had has fired off more shots than anyone else in the competition, and is second highest scorer. Defensively they have only conceded four goals in the competition so far, and that has come with seven clean sheets in their ten games. As a word of caution, they knocked out reigning champions Atletico Madrid on their way to the quarter finals. However, the tie will all hinge on this first leg as they have won just two of their last nineteen away games outside of Russia.

Stat Attack

Rubin have kept 7 clean sheets in 10 Europa League matches this season
Rubin have won just two of 19 European games outside of Russia
Chelsea are unbeaten at Stamford Bridge in 11 European matches
Chelsea have won four out of four previous matches against Russian opponents

Online bookmaker Promotion
On all live televised matches this week, online betting site Ladbrokes are running a great live in-running betting promotion. If there is a red card in the match, then the bookie will refund losing Correct Score and Next Goalscorer bets that have been placed in-play from kick off until the red card is shown. There have been four red cards in Kazan’s last four games. Online bookmaker Ladbrokes offer up to £30 in free bets for new customers registering an account with them.

 

Chelsea v Man United FA Cup Betting Preview
After Chelsea produced a fantastic second half comeback at Old Trafford to rescue a draw after looking down and out, the replay has been squeezed in right after a busy Premier League weekend. Both had matches on Saturday and this game may be affected by fixture congestion. It was a cliched tale of two halves in the first meeting, and while Chelsea are a great FA Cup side, they have struggled in the competition against the Red Devils.

Chelsea v Man United Betting Odds at online bookmaker Paddy Power
Chelsea 6/4, Man United 7/4, Draw 5/2

Chelsea v Man United Recommended Bet:
If this game turns out to be anything like the second half of the first attempt at Old Trafford then it should be a great one. It has the makings of being great, because the sides may be a little tired after playing on Saturday in the Premier League, so chances could come by the plenty. The two sides have produced a lot of goals in recent meetings, with 34 goals scored in the last seven meetings in all competitions. They have already met three times this season and produced eighteen goals between them. So to the game. Do Chelsea have ascendancy after clawing their way back into the original tie after looking down and out? They really could have won in the end if Juan Mata had converted at the death. The Spaniard has scored five and assisted eight in 11 FA Cup matches for Chelsea. He will have a big influence on Monday.

Chelsea are on a tremendously long unbeaten run in the FA Cup, not losing any of their last 28 games in the competition (excluding shoot outs). At Stamford Bridge, the Blues haven’t lost an FA Cup tie since back in March 2003, producing a W20 D4 record in hat run. However, they have lost their last two at home United in the competition. Chelsea have only won two FA Cup ties against United before, taking a victory the last time that they met, back in the 2007 final. The only previous time that they met in the Sixth Round, it produced their only previous draw, and that was at Old Trafford with the Red Devils winning the replay back at the Bridge. United are slight underdogs here, as Chelsea are a fantastic FA Cup side. Sir Alex Ferguson’s men though have scored in each of their last 10 away games in the FA Cup, in nine of those matches, they scored more than once.

They have the threats of Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney, but Javier Hernandez has netted in six of the last seven meetings against Chelsea. United have a strong 8-2 head to head lead over Chelsea in the FA Cup, and have won the last two meetings at Stamford Bridge. Incidentally, United were the last team to stop Chelsea scoring at home in the FA Cup, and that was the 1999 Sixth Round replay mentioned above. United arguably have the stronger firepower and more match winners in their ranks to call upon. The visitors don’t have any other distractions really, whereas Chelsea have to go and play in the Europa League on Thursday night as well.

The form of the Red Devils this season is good enough to warrant backing them outright at value of 7/4 with online bookmaker Paddy Power.

Stat Attack

United lead the FA Cup head to head with Chelsea 8-2
Chelsea are unbeaten in 28 FA Cup games (excluding penalty shootouts)
Javier Hernandez has scored in six of the last seven games against Chelsea
United have won the last two FA Cup ties at Stamford Bridge

Online bookmaker Promotion
One of the biggest danger men in the match will be United’s Robin van Persie. If the Dutchman scores last in the match, then online bookmaker Paddy Power will refund all losing First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast single bets placed on the match. Great coverage for your Chelsea v Man United FA Cup betting markets. Online bookmaker Paddy Power offer up to a free £50 bet for new customers registering an account with them, matching the value an initial stake as a welcome bonus.