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Chelsea will invite Servette to Stamford Bridge in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League play-off on Thursday. The hosts are playing in the Conference League qualifiers for the first time while the visitors will play for the second time in the qualifiers.
The hosts played their first match of the season on Sunday and suffered a 2-0 home loss to Manchester City in the Premier League campaign opener. Chelsea were absent from Europe last season and will look to qualify for the group stage this time around.
The visitors suffered a 2-1 loss to Braga in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round and were dropped to the Conference League qualifiers. They returned to winning ways after four games on Sunday with a 7-1 away triumph over Signal in the Swiss Cup first round. Julian von Moos scored a hat-trick in that match.
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Chelsea vs Servette Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams meet for the first time.
- The hosts have met Swiss teams six times in all competitions. They have three wins and three losses in these games.
- The visitors have squared off against English teams four times. These games have also produced conclusive results, with one win to their name and three defeats.
- Servette have just two wins in six Conference League games, including qualifiers while keeping five clean sheets.
- Chelsea last played in the qualifying campaign of a European competition in the 2003-04 season of the UEFA Champions League, recording a 5-0 win over Zilina in the third qualifying round.
- The visitors have registered just one win in their last 10 away games in UEFA competitions, including qualifiers. They have failed to score in six games in that period.
Chelsea vs Servette Prediction
The Blues suffered a loss in their Premier League campaign opener on Sunday which was their first home defeat in 10 games. They have eight wins in that period while scoring 31 goals and will look to build on that form. They have suffered two losses in their last 11 home games in European competitions, failing to score in just one.
Enzo Maresca will look to make some changes to the starting XI as he looks to register his first competitive win as the Blues manager. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall might get the nod to start in midfield and Benoît Badiashile is likely to start at the back.
Les Grenats have just one win in their last five games in all competitions while suffering three defeats. They have suffered defeats in two of their three away games in the Conference League, scoring just one goal, which is a cause for concern. They are winless in away meetings against English teams.
Considering the Blues' home advantage and better squad quality, we back the hosts to eke out a comfortable win.
Prediction: Chelsea 3-1 Servette
Chelsea vs Servette 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: Cole Palmer to score or assist any time - Yes
