Chelsea take on the visitors Shamrock Rovers in the round 6 match of UEFA Conference League group stage. The match will be played on Thursday, December 19th at Stamford Bridge (London).
Chelsea have been gradually rebuilding after their dismal 2022/2023 campaign. While a 6th-place finish in the Premier League last season was an improvement, it fell short of the ambitions held by both owner Todd Boehly and Chelsea supporters. Adding to the disappointment, Manchester United's FA Cup victory meant Chelsea only qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League. Manager Enzo Maresca has taken this as an opportunity to give playing time to fringe players, leveraging a roster that boasts nearly 40 players under contract. With most first-team regulars focused on the Premier League, even stars like Cole Palmer have not been registered for European competition. Despite initial struggles in qualification—such as splitting victories with Servette—Chelsea found their rhythm in the group stage. They defeated teams like Gent, Panathinaikos, Noah, and Heidenheim. In their most recent match, they overcame the challenge of a long trip to Kazakhstan with a solid win against Astana.
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Shamrock Rovers achieve notable success. The "Hoops" have dominated the Irish football scene since 2020, winning league titles every year until 2023. However, this season they narrowly lost the championship to Shelbourne after a decisive defeat in the final match. European competition may have taken a toll, as Shamrock Rovers ventured further than most Irish clubs typically do. While they were eliminated in the second qualifying rounds of both the Champions League and Europa League, these runs secured them a spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage. Impressively, the team has held its own here, achieving 1-1 draws against Rapid Vienna and APOEL, and securing victories over regional rivals Larne (Northern Ireland) and The New Saints (Wales). Their playoff hopes were further boosted by a win against Borac.
This marks the first-ever visit of the Irish champions to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea, even with their second-string lineup, are vastly superior to their opponents. The gap in quality should be evident, and the "Blues" are expected to dominate on home soil. A bet on Chelsea to win with a handicap of "-3.0 goals" appears to be a strong choice.
Prediction for the match: Chelsea to win with -3.0 handicap.
