Eintracht Frankfurt vs Chelsea
Uefa Europa League 2018-19 | Semi-final, first leg
Venue: Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt
Date: Thursday, May 2, 2019
Kick-off time: 8:00pm BST, tonight
Chelsea are three games away from Europa League glory as they prepare for the first leg of their semi-final tie at Eintracht Frankfurt tonight.
Maurizio Sarri's hopes of a Premier League top-four finish were boosted this weekend with a 1-1 draw at Manchester United, while Tottenham and Arsenal also fell to disappointing defeats.
That result leaves Chelsea two points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal, but the success of English sides in Europe this means means that even a top-four finish may not be enough for Champions League football.
Should Tottenham win the Champions League, Arsenal win the Europa League, and both teams finish outside the top four, the qualification spot which would normally be reserved for fourth place would be yanked away from Chelsea - and that means the Blues must go all-out in Europe to be sure of their fate.
Chelsea team news and predicted line-up
Chelsea have major centre-back difficulties at present, with Antonio Rudiger lost for at least three months after undergoing left knee surgery and the lesser-spotted Gary Cahill now suffering with an Achilles tendon problem.
Young Ethan Ampadu is still battling a back issue, meaning that Cesar Azpilicueta has been training as a makeshift central defender in recent days as the only fit cover for David Luiz and Andreas Christensen.
Willian is available after a reckless challenge from Marcos Rojo forced the Brazilian off at Old Trafford, but Callum Hudson-Odoi (Achilles) is out for the season.
Olivier Giroud should lead the line after another underwhelming performance from Juventus loanee Gonzalo Higuain.
Chelsea XI (4-3-3): Kepa, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Christensen, Emerson, Kante, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Pedro, Giroud, Hazard
Eintracht Frankfurt XI (3-4-1-2): Trapp, Hinteregger, Hasebe, Falette, Da Costa, Fernandes, Rode, Kostic, Gacinovic, Paciencia, Jovic
Score prediction: Eintracht 1-1 Chelsea
Much depends on which version of Sarri's Chelsea turn up on the night. The Blues were unimpressive in the last round against Slavia Prague despite winning 5-3 on aggregate, with a fortunate 1-0 away victory followed up by a nervy 4-3 home win.
Chelsea have since followed that up with Premier League draws against Burnley and Man United, so Sarri will be seeking a response.
The Blues will fancy their chances of beating Eintracht back at the Bridge, so a score draw would be a likely result in Frankfurt.
