Chelsea have grown accustomed to making arduous trips eastward in their bid for European silverware over the past decade.
The Blues will once again journey to the edge of UEFA jurisdiction on Wednesday evening as they make the 5,000-mile round trip to Azerbaijan’s capital Baku, the venue for their Champions League league phase meeting with Qarabağ.
The trip to the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium will take them approximately six hours by plane, followed by another six-hour flight back to London. They will be hoping that they return with three points amid their luggage come Wednesday evening.
Chelsea’s battle with Qarabağ kicks off at 5:45 p.m. GMT (12:45 p.m. ET, 9:45 a.m. ET), but for the locals inside the 31,000-seater arena the match commences at 9:45 p.m. There‘s unlikely to be a significant Chelsea presence at the stadium, with any travelling fans instantly clinching die-hard status, and their hosts are not to be underestimated.
Chelsea Face Difficulties On and Off the Pitch
The wonderfully-named Gurban Gurbanov has masterminded an impressive opening to Qarabağ’s European campaign. Conquering Ireland’s Shelbourne, North Macedonia’s Shkëndija and Hungary’s Ferencváros en route to the league phase, the Azerbaijani outfit have already claimed as many points as Chelsea.
A stunning 3–2 victory over Benfica saw them recover from conceding twice in the opening 16 minutes to collect their first ever Champions League win outside of qualifying, even costing Bruno Lage his job in Lisbon. They followed up an almighty scalp with victory over Copenhagen, who struggled during their trek to Baku.
Defeat at Athletic Club in their most recent European excursion hasn’t dampened their spirits, with Qarabağ at the beginning of a testing run that will include trips to Napoli and Liverpool, as well as home matches against Ajax and Eintracht Frankfurt. Home advantage could prove pivotal to their league phase success.
Happy Memories for Chelsea in Baku
Baku, which is the lowest-lying national capital in the world at 28 metres below sea level, is familiar territory for Chelsea, however. The Blues made the journey to the city during the 2017–18 Champions League group stage, facing up against Qarabağ at the much larger Olympic Stadium and returning to west London with a 4–0 victory tucked beneath their belts.
Chelsea made another onerous journey to Baku two years later, this time with silverware on the line. Baku’s Olympic Stadium hosted the 2019 Europa League final between the Blues and their fierce London rivals Arsenal, with another four-goal haul in Azerbaijan securing the title for then manager Maurizio Sarri.
But Enzo Maresca’s Blues have travelled even further in UEFA competition. During last season’s Europa Conference League league phase, Chelsea made the 7,000-mile round trip to play Astana in Almaty, Kazakhstan, which took them a total of 16 hours by plane. Fortunately, Maresca’s men have avoided a repeat trip this year, with Champions League debutants Kairat Almaty bypassed in the draw.
Chelsea’s Italian head coach will certainly take the opportunity to rest and rotate on Wednesday. Much like he did in the victory over Astana, Maresca will name a weakened and potentially youthful starting lineup, although he boasts a deeper squad this season.
“We need to rotate,” said Maresca prematch, with one eye on Chelsea’s weekend game against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League. “We come back to London first thing in the morning. It’s a demanding schedule, but we’re going to try to adapt.”
Adapt they must in Baku, which homes approximately 25% of all Azerbaijani residents and has earned the nickname the ‘City of Winds.’ Set pieces and long throws, for which the Premier League is renowned this season, might prove a handy weapon in Maresca’s arsenal.
Chelsea will certainly expect not only victory, but a convincing one on Wednesday. However, the Blues’ mental focus will be put to the ultimate test on their travels, with few Champions League trips more taxing than Qarabağ.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea Make 5,000-Mile Trip for Champions League Showdown in Familiar Territory.
