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Chelsea will entertain Gent at Stamford Bridge in their UEFA Conference League campaign opener on Thursday. The Blues will make their debut in the competition while the visitors will play in the competition for the fourth consecutive season.
The hosts are unbeaten in their last five games across all competitions and registered their fourth consecutive win on Saturday. Cole Palmer scored all four goals in their 4-2 home win over Brighton & Hove Albion between the 21st and 41st minutes.
The visitors lost 2-1 to Cercle Brugge in the Belgian Pro League on Thursday but bounced back with a 3-0 win home win over Oud-Heverlee Leuven on Saturday. Max Dean and Noah Fadiga scored in the first half and Andri Guðjohnsen extended their lead after the break.
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Chelsea vs Gent Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams will meet for the first time. The hosts have met Belgian teams eight times in all competitions while De Buffalo's have met English teams six times, with all meetings coming against London-based teams.
- The visitors won four of their eight games in the Conference League last season, with just one of these wins coming in their travels.
- The Blues have won five of their eight meetings against Belgian teams while suffering just one defeat.
- Gent have won just one of their six meetings against English teams. In their previous meeting against an English team, they suffered a 5-2 loss on aggregate to West Ham United in the 2022-23 Conference League quarterfinals.
- Chelsea are unbeaten at home since a 2-0 loss to Manchester City in their Premier League campaign opener. They have won three of their four home games since while keeping two clean sheets.
Chelsea vs Gent Prediction
The Blues are on a four-game winning streak in all competitions, scoring 13 goals while conceding just twice. They have a 100% home record against Belgian teams and are strong favorites.
Enzo Maresca has left Cole Palmer, Wesley Fofana, and Romeo Lavia out of the squad for the league phase of the competition, so Christopher Nkunku is expected to lead the lineup. Reece James is the only injury concern as Omari Kellyman is also not included in the squad for the Conference League.
De Buffalo's have won three of their last four games and will look to build on that form. While they were unbeaten in the Conference League qualifiers, winning five of the six games, they are winless in their last three games in the main phase of the competition, suffering two losses.
Considering the hosts' impressive form and 100% home record against Belgian teams, the Blues should be able to register a comfortable win.
Prediction: Chelsea 3-1 Gent
Chelsea vs Gent Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Chelsea to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least one goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Jadon Sancho to score or assist any time - Yes
