Chelsea will be looking to keep up their strong record against Qarabag in Europe when they meet again in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The Blues have won two games in a row in the competition, and a third victory in succession will see them in a very strong position in the group stage.
Chelsea faced Qarabag in the 2017/18 Champions League, winning 6-0 at Stamford Bridge before Eden Hazard led them to victory in Azerbaijan.
It is expected that Enzo Maresca’s side are able to secure all three points across the continent, and they will take solace in the fact that their upcoming opponents have a terrible record against English opposition.
Chelsea’s Champions League opponents’ only goal vs English side came against Tottenham
Qarabag have lost seven games out of seven in Europe against Premier League sides, and have not scored in their last six meetings.
In fact, their only goal against an English side came against arch-rivals Tottenham, however they fell to a 3-1 defeat on that day.
The Blues gave their London rivals a timely reminder of their dominance over them at the weekend with the victory at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, where their opponents couldn’t lay a glove on them.
Spurs have somewhat returned to form in the Champions League with a dominant win over Slavia Prague on Tuesday, however the Blues can overtake them again with a win in Azerbaijan.
Rotation expected for Chelsea vs Qarabag
Given the long-distance flight for the game and the quick turnaround for their return to the Premier League on Saturday, Chelsea can be expected to make plenty of changes to their side for the Champions League clash.
Pedro Neto will miss the game due to injury, and there are certainly reasons that Maresca could want to drop another of his wingers too.
Estevao is closing in on a European suspension after picking up a yellow card against Ajax, and with some big games to come it could be advisable to protect the Brazilian for them.
The Blues still have to face Barcelona and Napoli, and will need to avoid defeat if they want to secure a place in the top eight by the end of the groups.