Legia Warsaw v Chelsea: Conference League predictions, tips and bet builder as Blues face hostile atmosphere
Legia Warsaw fans
Chelsea’s pursuit of European glory sees them travel to Warsaw for the first leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final with Legia this Thursday, April 10.
While the Blues are still a long way from being the force they once were, Enzo Maresca is slowly taking the club in the right direction.
Chelsea have come a long way from finishing 12th and 6th in the Premier League over the past couple of seasons and are now in contention for a top four finish and a Champions League return.
The Blues could add a cherry on top of their well-baked pie by going all the way in the Europa Conference League and claiming their first trophy in over two years.
In order to do that, Chelsea will have to navigate their way past Poland’s Legia Warsaw in the quarter-finals.
Controversy is never far when Legia are involved and already there’s tension between the two clubs due to Chelsea’s insistence on limiting the number of away fans for the second leg.
Fans are Legia’s best weapon and they will undoubtedly utilise that strength when Chelsea arrive at Lazienkowska for the opening encounter.
Here, we take a closer look at Thursday’s match and pick out some of the best bets along the way.
Good luck, and please gamble responsibly.
(All odds are correct at the time of article publication)
Legia v Chelsea bet builder
Christopher Nkunku to score anytime – 5/4
Both teams to score
It’s fair to say that Chelsea have breezed into the quarter-finals of this competition without making much of a fuss.
The Blues have won all eight matches, scoring 29 goals in the process and conceding just six.
Maresca’s men were kept at bay by Brentford at the weekend, but we expect Chelsea to come back strong in the goal department against a leaky Legia defence.
The Polish side have kept three clean sheets from their last 10 games – not good considering none of their recent opponents carry the attacking threat comparable to Chelsea.
The one positive for the Poles is the fact they’ve scored in nine of their last 10 matches in all competitions. With a rowdy crowd behind them, we’re backing Legia to get on the scoresheet.
Christopher Nkunku to score anytime
With one goal from his previous 11 matches, it’s fair to say that Christopher Nkunku is not exactly firing on all cylinders.
The Frenchman had an underwhelming 46 minute display against Brentford and at first glance, he doesn’t look like a solid contender in the anytime goalscorer market.
However, the 27-year-old has scored seven goals in nine Conference League games. The forward clearly likes the competition and we’re backing him to cause Legia’s defence serious problems.
Goals in both halves
While goals have been hard to come by in recent matches featuring Chelsea, that has not been the case regarding Legia. Eight of their last 10 matches across all comps have seen goals in both halves.
When you combine Legia’s leaky defence with Chelsea’s superior quality, we’re backing both halves to once again produce the goods.
Legia most bookings
We’ve already touched on Legia’s crowd having an impact on this game. The rowdy home fans often bring the best our of their players, meaning you can expect a very ambitious Legia performance.
With Chelsea expected to dominate possession, Legia’s ambition is likely to consist of big tackles. With that in mind, we’re backing the hosts to pick up most of the bookings.
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