21.9 C
Kampala
Thursday, November 28, 2024

Kabaka’s New Car – Only 18 were built for Royals

The Rolls Royce Phantom IV is a British...

Kasubi Royal Tombs: How they came to be

The Kasubi Tombs in Kampala, Uganda, is...

The Richest Man in History

Mansa Musa was an emperor of the...

Heidenheim vs Chelsea predictions, odds and betting tips

OpenHeidenheim vs Chelsea predictions, odds and betting tips

Chelsea will resume their Conference League campaign against Heidenheim on Thursday.

Heidenheim vs Chelsea best bets

  • Chelsea to win and over 1.5 goals – 4/6 with Betano
  • Chelsea over 2.5 goals – 11/8 with Betano
  • Christopher Nkunku to score any time – 23/20 with Betano

Heidenheim vs Chelsea odds

Find the latest match odds for Heidenheim vs Chelsea. All odds are provided by our best football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.

Heidenheim vs Chelsea predictions

Not many people anticipated Chelsea being a point behind Manchester City after 12 rounds of games in the Premier League.

- Advertisement -

A 2-1 victory over Leicester City at the weekend kept the Blues in third place. They will have the chance to, at least temporarily, go above Pep Guardiola’s side with a win against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Before that, Chelsea are back in Conference League action on Thursday. But aside from the kit and the badge, the side that runs out at the Voith-Arena this week will bear little resemblance to the XI that beat Leicester on Saturday.

Enzo Maresca has done many things well in his first few months at Stamford Bridge. One of the most important is how decisive he has been. 

- Advertisement -

The Italian quickly settled on a favoured 13 or 14 players for the Premier League. The remaining members of Chelsea’s bloated squad have seen more game time in the EFL Cup and Conference League than England’s top flight.

It is not unique for managers to name second-string sides in the early rounds of non-Champions League continental competition. But we have seldom seen the practice enacted to this extent.

Of the 11 players that started the 8-0 thrashing of Noah earlier this month, none began the Premier League clash with Arsenal a few days later.

- Advertisement -

It is self-evident that everyone associated with Chelsea would rather finish in the top four than win the Conference League. Yet it is worth remembering that winning trophies has been a core part of Chelsea’s identity over the last two decades, and this is a tournament they have never won before. 

Even if they continue to name a weakened team in the knockout rounds of the Conference League, Chelsea will be the favourites to win it. They are currently first in the 36-team league phase with nine points from a possible nine, and it is hard to see them being knocked off top spot over the next few weeks.

A trip to Heidenheim will be a sterner examination of Chelsea’s B team’s credentials than that aforementioned home clash with Noah, but Maresca’s side should still get the job done in Germany on matchday four.

Heidenheim vs Chelsea tips. 18+ GambleAware.org – Please play responsibly.

Heidenheim vs Chelsea betting tips

Chelsea will be targeting another Conference League win when they face Heidenheim.

Chelsea to win and over 1.5 goals

The Conference League is not where Chelsea ultimately want to be, but Heidenheim are ecstatic to be here. 

After all, this is a club that was in the fifth tier of the German game as recently as 2007. The fact they are about to lock horns with a European heavyweight like Chelsea is remarkable given their history.

Free Bet Offers

Get the best free bet offers all season

Claim Free Bets

Heidenheim finished eighth in the Bundesliga last term to qualify for the Conference League, but this looks set to be a tougher campaign for Frank Schmidt’s side (as if it was not already enough of a fairytale, Heidenheim’s manager has been at the helm since those fifth-tier days). They are only just outside the relegation zone at the time of writing.

Chelsea should ultimately have too much quality for their hosts. Bear in mind, too, that none of the Blues’ last 13 matches have featured under 1.5 goals.

⚽ Pick a Chelsea win and over 1.5 goals at 4/6 with Betano ⚽

Chelsea over 2.5 goals

There is little chance of Chelsea’s players going through the motions on Thursday night.

Those that make up the Conference League group are desperate to catch the eye of Maresca with a view to being promoted into the Premier League squad.

That is particularly true of Chelsea’s attacking players. No doubt in part due to his performances in Europe, Joao Felix was handed a surprise start against Leicester last weekend.

The likes of Christopher Nkunku, Marc Guiu, Mykhailo Mudryk and Jadon Sancho will now be aiming to follow suit.

As a result, we like Chelsea’s chances of scoring at least three goals against opponents that have the sixth-worst defensive record in the Bundesliga this term.

⚽ Tip Chelsea to score over 2.5 goals at 11/8 with Betano ⚽

Christopher Nkunku to score any time

Christopher Nkunku can count himself a little unfortunate to have had so few opportunities in the Premier League.

The France international has not started a top-flight game since the 2-0 loss to Manchester City on the opening weekend of the campaign.

That is despite the fact he has been effective elsewhere, notching nine goals in the Conference League and EFL Cup. No Chelsea player has scored more.

Nkunku is an excellent footballer with plenty to offer. His problem is that Cole Palmer plays in his favoured position behind the striker.

That will not be an issue on Thursday, though, and Nkunku is ready to make his mark once more.

⚽ Go for Christopher Nkunku to score any time at 23/20 with Betano ⚽

📺 How to watch Heidenheim vs Chelsea

  • Location: Voith-Arena, Heidenheim, Germany.
  • Date and time: Thursday 28th November, 5.45pm.
  • How to watch: TNT Sports 1.

Read more about the 2024/25 football season

About the author

Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.

Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

  • Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
  • Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
  • Never chase their losses
  • Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
  • Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
  • GambleAware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.


- Advertisement -

Related

Check out other tags:

Most Popular Articles