Chelsea v Copenhagen

Chelsea ran out 2-1 winners in Denmark despite being underwhelming for large periods of the game. Enzo Maresca won’t be too put off by the Blues’ first leg performance, they have a great advantage at Stamford Bridge where they’ve won all of their Conference League games this season by an aggregate score of 17-3.

Copenhagen did well to fight back and put Chelsea under pressure after they established a 2-0 lead. A headed effort from Gabriel Pereira gives them a chance in this tie, but they will need to show the same defensive resolve they did in the first half of the first leg here.

⭐ Chelsea v Copenhagen Best Bet

There isn’t really any value in backing Chelsea to win the game at 1.33, but backing the Blues to have the lead at half time comes in at a much more appealing price of 1.73 given how dominant they’ve been at home in this competition.

Chelsea have won all three of their Conference League games at Stamford Bridge this season, scoring 17 goals and only conceding three. In each of these games, they’ve managed to have the lead at half time. Chelsea didn’t really get going in the first half in the first leg but it’s likely Enzo Maresca instructs them to start quickly here. 

Chelsea’s vulnerabilities usually come in phases during the game, often late on. The youthful makeup of this Chelsea side naturally affects the consistency that Enzo Maresca would like to see from his side. Chelsea often take a lead but have issues sustaining a level of performance throughout a game, which is what we saw in the first leg with the backline switching off from a set piece. 

With only one goal in the tie, a few goals for Chelsea in the first half of this game can really knock the wind out of the sails of Copenhagen, who will be optimistic of turning around the tie just as they did in the last round of the competition against Heidenheim. Enzo Maresca should go with a side similar to the one he put out in the first leg, which has more than enough attacking quality to fire Chelsea into an early lead here.

👕 Chelsea v Copenhagen Predicted XI

🔍 Chelsea v Copenhagen Players to Watch

⚪ Victor Froholdt

Froholdt lines up in the middle park for Copenhagen, he struggled slightly with Chelsea’s rotations in the middle of the park in the first leg, ending up with him committing a foul from nine duels in total. He can be quite erratic, evidenced by the fact he’s averaging 2.46 fouls committed per 90 across his nine appearances in the Conference League.

Copenhagen committed 10 fouls in the first leg and could be on track to post similar numbers here given that Chelsea had 68% possession in the initial meeting. 

🔵 Reece James

One of the most notable things to come out of the first leg was Enzo Maresca’s comments about Reece James. The former Leicester City boss claimed that he has always seen James as a midfielder and thinks his profile is more suited to central areas of the pitch, where it’s also easier to manage his physical load.

This view can inform certain betting angles around James, he’s more likely to have foul involvements in the middle of the park and take shots as he did in the first leg with the opener coming from range. James’ numbers aren’t the most standout when it comes to this market, but expect his shot volume to increase as Maresca continues to play him more centrally.

📂 Chelsea v Copenhagen Cheat Sheet

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💻 Chelsea v Copenhagen Form and Tactics

Chelsea have found some form again in recent weeks with three straight wins against Southampton, Copenhagen and Leicester. This period was essential for Maresca and his side to regain some confidence before a tougher run of fixtures, starting with a trip to the Emirates to face Arsenal on Sunday.

Chelsea will line up in a 4-2-3-1 shape on paper, but there are plenty of intricacies in that system when Chelsea are in possession and out of possession. Cucurella has been inverting and pushing high into the left half space in recent weeks which has translated into more opportunities in front of goal for the Spaniard, and the return of Wesley Fofana adds an extra element to how Chelsea play with his recovery speed allowing the Blues to play a high line and sustain attacking pressure in the final third.

Chelsea’s inconsistency domestically can make them a tough side to back, you never quite know which version of Enzo Maresca’s side is going to turn up, which is reflective of the young makeup of the squad. However, they’ve been dominant when it comes to the Conference League, easily navigating their way through the league phase with six wins and 26 goals scored.

Rotation is expected from Enzo Maresca, with out-of-form stars like Cole Palmer clearly needing a rest. They should dominate the majority of the ball as they have done throughout the competition (66.2%), but what is also notable is that Chelsea have only kept two clean sheets in the Conference League this season.

Copenhagen will line up to be hard to break down and may have one eye on their domestic title race which comes to a close in the coming weeks. They gave up the ball and were effective in limiting the chances Chelsea had in the first half but struggled to deal with the Blues’ reinforcements in the second half which ultimately fired Chelsea to victory. Copenhagen have experience in turning a tie around having beaten Heidenheim in the previous round of the competition after losing the first leg at home. 

🏁 Chelsea v Copenhagen Ref Watch

• Referee - Radu Petrescu

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* I recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.

* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.