The first leg of the 2024/25 UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final between Legia (Poland) and Chelsea (England) will take place on April 10 at the Polish Army Stadium in Warsaw. Legia vs. Chelsea: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Legia
Gonzalo Feio's side skipped the knockout round as they directly advanced to the round of 16 due to their strong performance in the group stage (seventh place). In the previous playoff stage, Legia faced Molde and emerged victorious on aggregate (2-3, 1-0, extra time 1-0). It's worth noting that the victory in the second leg against the Norwegians allowed the Polish team to break a three-match losing streak in the Conference League. Additionally, the team kept a clean sheet for the fifth time in this tournament.
- The team has secured a clean sheet victory in regular time in 5 of their last 7 home matches in the Conference League.
- The club has scored exactly one or two goals in 90 minutes in 5 of their last 6 home games in this European competition.
- The Polish side scored in the first half in 6 of their last 7 home matches in the Conference League.
Predicted lineup for Legia (4-3-3)
Kacper Tobiasz – Pawel Wszolek, Steve Kapuadi, Ruben Vinagre, Artur Jędrzejczyk – Rafal Augustyniak, Bartosz Kapustka, Jürgen Elitim – Kacper Chodyna, Marc Gual, Ryo Morishita.
The participation of midfielder Bartosz Kapustka and forward Marc Gual is doubtful. Defenders Jan Ziółkowski and Artur Jędrzejczyk are suspended.
Chelsea
Enzo Maresca's team confidently won the group stage and advanced directly to the round of 16, where they faced Copenhagen. Chelsea won both legs of this encounter and progressed further (2-1, 1-0). As a result, the team approaches the first match against Legia with an eight-match winning streak in the Conference League. Furthermore, the English side leads in both goals scored (29) and goals conceded (6) in this edition of the tournament.
- The club has won in regular time in their last four away matches in the Conference League.
- The team has scored at least two goals in 90 minutes in their last four away games in this European competition.
- Both teams scored in regular time in 4 of Chelsea's last 5 away matches in the Conference League.
Predicted lineup for Chelsea (4-5-1)
Filip Jørgensen – Joshua Achimpong, Benoît Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo – Enzo Fernández, Moisés Caicedo, Jadon Sancho, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Tyrique George – Pedro Neto.
Midfielders Omari Kellyman and Romeo Lavia are out due to injuries.
Referee
Serdar Gözübüyük (Netherlands)
Matches – 9 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 51;
Average yellow cards per match – 5.7;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 26;
Penalties – 44%.
Legia vs. Chelsea: Match Prediction
On their home turf, the Polish side is ready to challenge anyone, as they have shown multiple times in the Conference League. Over the last two editions of this European competition, Legia has played 14 home matches and failed to score in only one of them. Additionally, in seven instances, the club has scored at least two goals. In the current Conference League, the team has scored 16 times in regular time across seven home matches. Moreover, in the previous Conference League, Legia scored three goals against another English club, Aston Villa.
Chelsea, even when fielding a half-reserve squad throughout this tournament, has consistently found the back of the net. The team has breached opponents' defenses in each of their ten Conference League matches, and only in the recent encounter with Copenhagen did the English side fail to score more than one goal. Meanwhile, the team has kept a clean sheet only three times in their last nine matches in this European competition.
I believe both teams are capable of showcasing their attacking prowess in this match. My prediction: Both teams to score – yes
