MX23RW : Tuesday, November 26 22:53:45| >> :60:3533:3533:

Preview: Basel vs. Chelsea

Preview: Basel vs. Chelsea
© PA Photos
Sports Mole previews the first leg of the Europa League semi-final between Basel and Chelsea.

Chelsea will attempt to secure a first-leg advantage when they travel to Basel in the semi-finals of the Europa League on Thursday.

The Swiss outfit have already overcome English opposition in the competition this season, having eliminated Tottenham Hotspur in the previous round.

Chelsea were defeated in the second leg of their quarter-final tie against Rubin Kazan, but a 3-1 win on their own patch was enough to book their spot in the final four of the competition.

Basel enter the match having won just one of their last five matches in all competitions, but they top their domestic table with 57 points, three clear of nearest challenges Grasshopper.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have lost two of their last five games in all competitions, but they remain in the hunt for a Champions League position, currently occupying fourth spot in the Premier League table.

The home side have no fresh injury concerns ahead of the match, although Philipp Degen is still nursing a muscular injury. Should the defender fail to prove his fitness, Arlind Ajeti could come into the side. Meanwhile, Marco Streller is expected to lead the line alongside Raul Bobadilla.

Chelsea boss Rafael Benitez could recall John Terry and Frank Lampard to his starting side, but Ashley Cole has been ruled out. Ramires could also start in place of Oscar, while Fernando Torres is expected to be named as the lone striker once more.

Recent form

Basel: DDDWD

Chelsea: WLLWD

Possible lineups

Basel: Sommer; Park, Schar, Sauro, Steinhofer; Stocker, Frei, Diaz, Degen; Streller, Bobadilla

Chelsea: Cech; Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Bertrand; Mikel, Lampard; Ramires, Hazard, Mata; Torres

Sports Mole says: 2-2


ID:81057: cacheID:81057:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:4542:No Data Analysis info

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Restore Data
Share this article now:
Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas prior to kick-off against Arsenal on March 3, 2013
Read Next:
Preview: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Basel
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
FT
Ravens
30-23
Chargers
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1210112481631
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Fulham125341717018
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle125341313018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham124351519-415
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!