Chelsea v Maccabi Tel Aviv betting tips and predictions for Wednesday night’s Champions League match with the best free football betting tips.
Struggling Chelsea get their Champions League campaign off the mark on Wednesday as they welcome Maccabi Tel Aviv to Stamford Bridge. Tune into BT Sport 2 at 7:45 and here are our match predictions and betting tips.
Chelsea v Maccabi Tel Aviv Predictions
What might have looked like an easy home game to kick off their European journey this year, now takes on a whole new perspective considering Chelsea's woeful start to the season. The Blues have been a shadow of the team that won the league at a canter last time out, and Jose Mourinho's men have already lost as many games as they did throughout last season's entirety.
Up top, Eden Hazard looks a far cry from the player of the year he was four months ago and Diego Costa is fast bearing the appearance of your average pub footballer. However, if you think things are bad at that end of the pitch, don't even get me started at the other. Chelsea's normally watertight defence has been hemorrhaging goals left right and centre, and last season's champions have already got the worst defence in the Premier League. Mourinho needs to nip this form in the bud – and fast!
Opponents Tel Aviv make the long journey from Israel having just completed their third domestic match of the season. Last season's Israeli champions are currently unbeaten, having drawn their opening clash and won the following two. Their main threat is likely to be last season's top scorer Eran Zahavi who has already started the campaign in great form with three goals to his name already.
Odds for the clash have Chelsea as clear favourites at 2/11. Maccabi can be backed at a quite ridiculous 25/1, with the draw on offer at 15/2.
Based on recent form, I wouldn't go lumping your mortgage on Chelsea on Wednesday night. Although Tel Aviv aren't likely to trouble their opponents too much, you really never know with that wobbly Chelsea defence. Regardless of this, it would be a monumental shock if Tel Aviv were to pick up a win so if you're going to bet on The Blues, back them to be winning at half-time and at full-time available at 8/13 with Betfair which is my first Chelsea v Maccabi Tel Aviv prediction.
Moving over to the goalscoring market and I'm backing Eden Hazard to break his duck for the season. The Belgian should retain penalty kick duties for the Premier League side and also scored twice for Belgium during the recent international break. For those that remember, Hazard also had a slow start to last season – two goals in ten matches – before exploding into life, so I wouldn't read too much into his dip in form. With this in mind, back the reigning PFA player of the year to score the first goal of the match under Betfred's DDHH promotion at 9/2 for my next prediction on Chelsea v Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Finally for a bit of a longshot in the same market, and as previously mentioned, Eran Zahavi is likely to be Tel Aviv's most potent weapon. Normally I wouldn't consider backing someone playing away at Chelsea, but considering their awful defensive problems of late, a bet on Zahavi to score anytime holds a bit of value at 7/1 with Boylesports.
Chelsea v Maccabi Tel Aviv
Chelsea HT/Chelsea FT – 8/13 with Betfair.
Edin Hazard to score first – 9/2 with Betfred.
Zahavi to score anytime – 7/1 with Boylesports.
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Thomas Furinss
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