Predicted line-ups
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez, James, Chalobah, Hato, Cucurella, Santos, Caicedo, Estevao, Fernandez, Neto, Joao Pedro
Benfica (4-2-3-1): Trubin, Dedic, Silva, Otamendi, Dahl, Aursnes, Rios, Lukebakio, Sudakov, Schjelderup, Pavlidis
Stamford Bridge plays host to Chelsea against Benfica in the Champions League league phase on Tuesday night, a clash between two clubs who began the competition with opening defeats.
Chelsea fell 3-1 away to Bayern Munich while Benfica slipped 3-2 at home to Qarabag, meaning both will be under pressure to get points on the board.
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side remain a work in progress. The Blues have won only three of their opening eight matches in all competitions, drawing two and losing three. Their underlying metrics are mixed: an xPTS of 8.7 from the Premier League suggests they are not underperforming drastically, but defensive frailty is clear. They have conceded 22 cards already this season and only two clean sheets, highlighting discipline and defensive issues. Maresca has been tasked with implementing a possession-heavy style, yet results remain inconsistent.
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