Qarabag vs Chelsea live: Reece James starts as Blues head to Azerbaijan for tricky Champions League test | OneFootball

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Caicedo and Rodri are the world's best defensive midfielders - Maresca

Chelsea continue their Champions League campaign as they take on Qarabag after a long trip to Azerbaijan.

A midweek 5,000-mile round trip to Baku will test the Chelsea squad as they look to continue a productive European run after an opening defeat to Bayern Munich.

Two wins have followed for Enzo Maresca’s side, and they must continue their momentum here as they chase a top-eight finish in the league phase. Pedro Neto has been left at home as he nurses an injury.

When these teams last met in the top tier of continental competition in 2017, Qarabag were beaten by an aggregate scoreline of 10-0 across two ties but they are a different proposition now.

Under long-serving manager Gurban Gurbanov, the Azerbaijan Premier League winners have already tasted success against Benfica and Copenhagen this season. Can they spring a shock here to bolster their own qualification chances?