Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Conference League match.
Last Thursday at the Warsaw stadium, there were no surprises as Chelsea comfortably took their chances in a 3:0 victory over Legia Warsaw. At Stamford Bridge, Enzo Maresca is expected to rest his strongest line-up, with a demanding English Premier League fixture on the horizon and a top-five finish still hanging in the balance.
Chelsea
In the Polish capital, Chelsea began to take control immediately after the break. Jadon Sancho provided two assists, while Jadon Sancho came off the bench to score twice. Across the 90 minutes of the first leg against Legia Warsaw, Chelsea generated 4.08 xG from 10 shots on target, while allowing just one effort on goal in return. In the 2:2 draw against Ipswich Town on Sunday, Cole Palmer and Marc Cucurella both completed the full match, so the coaching staff is unlikely to risk them again and will probably turn to reserve players.
Legia Warsaw
Last week, Legia Warsaw not only fell short in Europe but also suffered a 0:1 home defeat in the Ekstraklasa to Jagiellonia Białystok. In that game, the team produced 1.54 xG but couldn’t find the net — the third time since the international break they have failed to score. With the return of Jan Ziolkowski and Artur Jedrzejczyk, Legia Warsaw's defence may look more stable, but the attack still lacks creativity in the absence of the injured Marc Gual.
Chelsea vs Legia Warsaw Prediction
Expectations are again for a high-scoring second leg, with the total line set accordingly. However, we’re opting for the opposite angle — the underdog appears to have lost motivation, while the favourite is preserving energy for domestic priorities.
