Maurizio Sarri’s Blues are seeking to take their next step towards the Europa League final in Baku later this month
Chelsea visit the Commerzbank-Arena on Thursday to continue their quest for the Europa League against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Maurzio Sarri’s men lie fourth in the Premier League following a 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday, but also have the opportunity of reaching a European final in Baku on May 29.
Standing in their way are a Frankfurt side on target for their best domestic season since the early 1990s. They have their eyes fixed on a first Champions League appearance, which could either come via a top-four finish in the Bundesliga or Europa League success.
| Game | Eintracht Frankfurt vs Chelsea |
| Date | Thursday, May 2 |
| Time | 8pm BST / 3pm EST |
| Stream (US only) | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
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| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Univision Deportes | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be broadcast on BT Sport 3 or can be streamed via BT Sport Live.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| BT Sport 3 | BT Sport Live |
| Position | Eintracht Frankfurt squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Trapp, Ronnow, Zimmermann |
| Defenders | N’Dicka, Hinterregger, Falette, Abraham, Russ, Willems, Da Costa, Chandler |
| Midfielders | Torro, Fernandes, Hasebe, Cetin, De Guzman, Rode, Kostic, Gacinovic |
| Forwards | Rebic, Jovic, Haller, Paciencia |
Eintracht Frankfurt are not short of headaches ahead of this encounter, with Ante Rebic suspended and attacker Sebastien Haller missing out with injury. As such, the spotlight will fall more than ever on Luka Jovic for goals.
Marc Stendera is also an injury concern, although Mijat Gacinovic recovers in time to start.
Confirmed Eintracht Frankfurt starting XI: Trapp; Hasebe, Abraham, Hinteregger; Da Costa, Rode, Fernandes, Falette; Gacinovic, Jovic, Kostic
| Position | Chelsea squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Kepa, Caballero, Bulka |
| Defenders | Alonso, Zappacosta, Cahill, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Emerson |
| Midfielders | Jorginho, Kante, Hazard, Barkley, Pedro, Loftus-Cheek, Ampadu, Moses, Willian, Kovacic |
| Forwards | Giroud, Higuain |
Star man Eden Hazard starts on the bench, with Willian overcoming a fitness doubt to start with Pedro either side of Olivier Giroud.
Chelsea have been dealt a blow with the news that Antonio Rudiger will miss the remainder of the season due to injury. He joins Callum Hudson-Odoi on the sidelines.
Confirmed Chelsea starting XI: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Christensen, David Luiz, Emerson; Kante, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek; Pedro, Giroud, Willian
Chelsea are marginal favourites to win this tie as they are priced at 17/10 with bet365. Frankfurt can be backed at 9/5, while the draw is available at 12/5.
Click here to see all of bet 365’s offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.
Chelsea’s goal this season was to achieve Champions League football for the 2019-20 campaign, and Maurizio Sarri is close to delivering just that.
The Blues have two chances of guaranteeing a return to European football’s top table, either by finishing in the top four in the Premier League, which they appear favourites to do, or by winning the Europa League.
Critics suggest that they have not been particularly stretched in Europe yet, allowing them to navigate continental football using a fringe team. For example, in the past three rounds, they have swept past Molde, Dynamo Kiev and Sparta Prague without any issues.
Domestically, the tale has not been so straightforward for Sarri. After a promising start to the season, Chelsea’s form disappeared, with a defeat to Liverpool and recent draws against Burnley and an out-of-sorts Man Utd indicative of a side not firing on all cylinders.
Star man Eden Hazard made it clear just how important playing at the highest level is when the Real Madrid target told Sky Sports: “I want to play in the Champions League.”
With the potential of a transfer ban looming in the summer, it is essential the club can retain its star players, and playing in such a competition should stop heads from turning so readily.
Eintracht Frankfurt, meanwhile, should provide a stern test of the Stamford Bridge side’s mettle, particularly as they are juggling their domestic commitments concurrently.
Formerly one of the giants of European football – they were the victims of Real Madrid’s finest hour as the Spaniards won 7-3 at Hampden in the 1960 European Cup final – they have been a club starved of recent success.
Nevertheless, fourth in the Bundesliga and in line for their highest finish since the 1992-93 season, they are poised to return to a heavyweight level, having spent more time in 2.Bundesliga than Europe since the early 90s.
Propelled by the goals of Luka Jovic and Sebastien Haller, their well-balanced approach to the game has made them one of the most exciting sides in Germany.
Their run to the last four has been considerably trickier than that of their opponents, with Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter and Benfica their victims.
Indeed, against the Portuguese side, they fought back from a 4-2 deficit, winning 2-0 at home to qualify on away goals.
Chelsea would do well to heed this warning.