Jose Mourinho returns to Stamford Bridge tomorrow evening as Chelsea take on Benfica.
The self-proclaimed Special One is now back in Portugal after a mixed stint at Fenerbahce. And as luck would have it, his first Champions League encounter pits him against the team which helped him achieve worldwide fame.
What a game we have in prospect in West London, and here is a full football betting preview for Chelsea vs Benfica, complete with online betting tips and the latest odds from our website and app.
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Where can I watch Chelsea vs Benfica in the UK?
Chelsea vs Benfica will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm UK time.
Chelsea vs Benfica Preview
Mourinho is unbeaten in three matches since taking charge of Benfica earlier this month, with league wins over AVS and Gil Vicente either side of a 1-1 draw with Rio Ave.
He took charge just days after the Portuguese outfit surrendered a 2-0 home lead and lost 3-2 to Qarabag on Matchday 1 of the Champions League.
But despite that result, Mourinho will know that this is a fantastic opportunity for his new side to pick up a famous European win, because Chelsea are in a bit of a rut.
With talisman Cole Palmer out injured, the Blues have suffered back-to-back Premier League defeats, with last Saturday’s shock 3-1 loss to Brighton coming after a 2-1 failure at Manchester United.
Defensively, Enzo Maresca’s side look well off the pace, which is not ideal when preparing to face Greek sensation Vangelis Pavlidis, who scored twice on the weekend for Benfica to take his league tally to five goals for the campaign.
Furthermore, the likes of Pedro Neto, Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Gittens, Tyrique George and Estevao are struggling to fill the void left by Palmer, placing too much responsibility at the feet of Joao Pedro and Enzo Fernandez.
So this really is a big game for Chelsea ahead of hosting Liverpool on the weekend, and the Blues would love a repeat of the result achieved at the Club World Cup, which they went on to win. Maresca’s side beat Benfica 4-1 after extra-time, with Reece James and Neto two of the goalscorers on the day.
It is a performance the West Londoners should take some confidence from, as well as Mourinho’s poor record vs Chelsea. In 14 matches against his former employers, he has picked up just five wins and suffered seven defeats.
Chelsea vs Benfica Odds
*All odds are subject to change
Chelsea are the pre-match favourites here at a price of 1.65. A Benfica victory is at odds of 5.10, while the draw is 4.00.
Chelsea vs Benfica Betting Tips
Enzo Fernandez to have over 0.5 shots on target @ 2.10
Fernandez scored Chelsea’s goal in the 3-1 defeat to Brighton, which was his third in the Premier League this season. With Palmer out, the Argentine may once again take up a more advanced midfield role, so the odds here look very attractive indeed.
Moises Caicedo to commit over 1.5 fouls @ 1.73
Caicedo is a tackling and ball intercepting machine, a midfield destroyer who is always in the thick of the battle. However, that does mean he is prone to making fouls. The Ecuador international committed two of them in the defeat to Bayern on Matchday 1.
1st half result – Draw @ 2.30
With Mourinho in the Benfica hot-seat and Chelsea struggling for form, this has all the ingredients of a cagey first half at Stamford Bridge. In the Club World Cup meeting, the score was 0-0 at the half-time break.
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