Chelsea vs Paphos Predictions

• Chelsea’s last four home wins were recorded to nil
• Pafos have won only two of their last eight matches on the road
• The Cypriot visitors have failed to score in three Champions League away games

Blues can cruise to victory

With two league-phase games to go, Chelsea have not given up on securing a top-eight finish in the Champions League and the Blues can battle beyond Cypriot minnows Pafos at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea sit 13th in the 36-team standings, having amassed ten points from six games, and they will be desperate to respond to their 2-1 defeat at Atalanta on matchday five.

That came in early December and there has been plenty of change at Chelsea since then, with them parting ways with Enzo Maresca and seeing Liam Rosenior appointed as his permanent replacement.

Rosenior’s first three games in charge have featured a 5-1 rout of Charlton in the FA Cup while they proved too strong for Brentford in a 2-0 home win in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Blues were beaten 3-2 when hosting Premier League leaders Arsenal in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final in the middle of those two victories, but they are unlikely to have too many problems seeing off Pafos.

The Cypriot visitors have had a plucky Champions League campaign, with their only two defeats in six European assignments coming at the hands of Bayern and Juventus.

Lack of firepower to punish Pafos

A 1-0 win at home to Villarreal was the high point for Juan Carlos Carcedo’s side but, with just four goals in six Champions League appearances, it is clear to see where their problems lie.

Pafos’ three away trips in Europe have seen them frustrate Olympiakos and Kairat Almaty in goalless draws while they were also hardy defensively in a 2-0 loss at Juventus, where they had only three shots on target.

Having also suffered back-to-back away defeats in the Cypriot League at Apollon Limassol and Olympiakos Nicosia, Pafos have every reason to be fearing the worst at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have won all three of their Champions League home games this season, accounting for Benfica, Ajax and Barcelona, capped off by that impressive 3-0 rout of the Catalan Giants.

So the Blues should cruise to victory, with a clean sheet likely to be in the offing given that Pafos have won only two of their last eight away games and failed to score in any of their three Champions League road trips.

Chelsea’s last four wins at home have been accompanied by a clean sheet and they can repeat the feat with Pafos expected to be set up in a low block and play for the odd chance on the counter-attack.

Eight of Pafos’ last 12 away games have gone under 2.5 goals, hinting at a lack of adventure from them in the final third, so correct-score punters should side with a routine 2-0 home win.