Qarabag take on the visitors Chelsea in the round 4 match of UEFA Champions League – League Phase. The match will be played on Wednesday, November 5th at Tofiq Bahramov Stadium (Baku).
Qarabag have already proven they belong at this level. The Horsemen have long dominated domestic football in Azerbaijan, showing there’s simply no equal for them at home. Their consistency in European competitions has also earned them respect across the continent. For years, however, they couldn’t repeat their debut appearance in the Champions League group stage — until this summer, when they finally broke through, defeating Shelbourne, Shkëndija, and, crucially, Ferencváros 3-1 in Budapest in the decisive qualifying round. In the group stage, Gurbanov’s men pulled off a stunning comeback win over Benfica in Lisbon after being two goals down, then confidently handled Copenhagen 2-0 at home. Only in the last round did they stumble — despite scoring in the opening minute in Bilbao, Athletic responded with three goals to claim a 3-1 win. Qarabag’s performances this season show tactical maturity and confidence even against stronger opponents. They are especially dangerous when playing on the counter and have learned to maintain composure under pressure.
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Chelsea have struggled for stability since Roman Abramovich’s departure, gradually losing their former dominance. Fortunately, appointing Maresca brought structure and results — he guided the club back to a fourth-place Premier League finish and added the UEFA Conference League title, albeit mostly with reserve players. At the Club World Cup, however, Chelsea had to rely on their best and still managed to win the trophy, but the short recovery period took a toll. Fatigue and a wave of injuries have affected their early-season consistency, leading to dropped points across competitions. In the Champions League, they suffered a 1-3 loss in Munich to Bayern, before narrowly beating Benfica thanks to an own goal, and later dismantling Ajax 5-1 after the Dutch side went down to ten men. Chelsea’s form remains uneven — dominant in some matches, yet lacking sharpness in others. The squad’s depth is being tested, and that could again play a role in Baku.
The teams previously met in the 2017 Champions League group stage, where the Aristocrats won both encounters convincingly — 4-0 and 6-0. Despite their issues, the visitors are clearly a class above. Chelsea (-1.0 Asian handicap) looks like the most reasonable bet here.
Prediction for the match: Chelsea to win with -1.0 handicap.
