On August 23rd at 3:00 AM, the Europa Conference League will see a clash of styles in the play-off first leg, as Chelsea host Servette.
Chelsea, a powerhouse from the English Premier League, has seen their fortunes dwindle in recent years despite significant investments in players. Last season, they finished 6th in the league, securing a Europa Conference League play-off spot with a narrow 18-9-11 record. Their poor performance led to the departure of manager Mauricio Pochettino.
This season, they appointed a new coach, Aurelio Andreazzoli, and have made some changes to their roster, but the team has yet to show signs of improvement. In their pre-season preparations, they ambitiously lined up matches against various champions, but they only managed to defeat the Mexican champion Club América. They fell short against Real Madrid, Manchester City, Inter Milan, and Celtic, losing all those games. The season opener in the Premier League saw them suffer a humiliating 0-2 defeat at the hands of Manchester City, leaving them with extremely low morale.
The team has a clean bill of health with no injuries, which is a rare positive. However, a few veterans have been discarded by Andreazzoli, with Sterling and Chilwell notably missing from the season’s squad. This demonstrates Andreazzoli’s ambition to revamp the squad, but it will require time to bear fruit.
Servette, hailing from the Swiss Super League, have not been in top form at the start of the season. They’ve managed 3 wins and 2 losses in their first 5 games, currently sitting in 5th place in the league table. Last season, they finished third in the Swiss Super League, scoring 59 goals and conceding 43, showcasing a balanced approach without any particularly standout attributes.
They initially qualified for the Europa League play-off but fell short against Braga, drawing 0-0 in the first leg and losing 1-2 in the second leg, ending their campaign with a 1-2 aggregate loss. Their hopes now rest on the Europa Conference League, but facing a team like Chelsea in the play-offs presents a daunting challenge, making it highly improbable to overcome them in a two-leg series.
With a fully healthy roster, Servette boasts a certain level of confidence.
These two teams have never faced each other before. Despite Chelsea’s struggles, they possess a far superior squad and overall strength compared to Servette. However, considering their pre-season defeat to Wrexham, an upset in the first leg is not entirely impossible.
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