Legia Warsaw vs Chelsea: Conference League preview, team news, how to watch, kick-off time & prediction

In partnership with

Absolute Chelsea

·9 April 2025

Legia Warsaw vs Chelsea: Conference League preview, team news, how to watch, kick-off time & prediction

Chelsea face Legia Warsaw in the first leg of their Conference League quarter-final tie on Thursday night.

Enzo Maresca's side travel to Poland to The Marshall Józef Piłsudski's Municipal Stadium of Legia Warsaw for the quarter-final clash.

OneFootball Videos

Chelsea will be hoping to claim a first leg advantage to take back to Stamford Bridge next week to boost their chances of progressing into the semi-finals.

They were rewarded with a last-eight tie against the Polish side, who are currently fifth in their domestic league - the Ekstraklasa - after a 3-1 aggregate win over FC Copenhagen.

The winners of the tie between Chelsea and Legia Warsaw will face either Djurgårdens IF or Rapid Vienna for a spot in May's final, which also takes place in Poland.

Chelsea head into Thursday's tie following a goalless draw away to Brentford. Maresca made several changes, including benching Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella, Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson in an appeared attempt to manage their minutes, which could see them return to the starting XI against Legia Warsaw.

Palmer will be hoping to play a pivotal part in Chelsea progressing past Legia Warsaw. / IMAGO / Sports Press Photo

"We didn't leave them out of the XI against Brentford with this tie in mind," Maresca said on Palmer and Jackson ahead of facing Legia.

"It was the game plan, to start with one XI against Brentford and then bring them on in the second half, and it almost worked. But did we leave them out so they would be fresh for Legia? No, no, no. That was not the plan."

The visitors are heavy favourites to win the competition and a positive result in Poland will ease the pressure for the second leg in the English capital, London, next week.

Here are all of the details ahead of the Conference League tie between Legia Warsaw and Chelsea.