Legia Warsaw vs Chelsea - Preview, prediction, team news and lineups

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FanSided World Football

·9 April 2025

Legia Warsaw vs Chelsea - Preview, prediction, team news and lineups

In UEFA and FIFA competitions, Chelsea have faced 105 different clubs from 37 different countries, but this'll be their first-ever encounter with Polish opposition. Legia Warszawa have won each of their last three home games against English sides, enjoying wins over Blackburn, Leicester and Aston Villa.

Legia Warsaw vs Chelsea Preview

Chelsea have swatted aside all before them in the UEFA Conference League so far, overwhelming favourites to be victorious in the final on 28 May in Wrocław, just 208 miles west, across Poland, from where this tie will take place. The Blues won all six league phase fixtures, scoring 26 goals, before ousting København 3-1 in the round of 16. Reece James and Enzo Fernández were in target at Parken, before Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was the only scorer back in West London.

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Meantime, in the Premier League, Enzo Maresca's team have enjoyed five successive home victories, most-recently beating fierce rivals Tottenham last Thursday. However, on the road, Chelsea are now winless in eight away matches, held to a goalless draw by Brentford on Sunday, very much halting their progress. The Blues remain fourth, but form must improve if they're to secure a Champions League return. Having already won in Athens, Heidenheim, Almaty and Copenhagen on the European road this season, will Chelsea leave Stadion Wojska Polskiego in pole position in this tie?

As for Legia Warszawa, this is the first time they've reached the quarter-finals of any UEFA competition for 29 years, seeking a first semi-final since 1991. The Militarians' European adventure began against Welsh minnows Caernarfon Town back in July, with this set to be their 15th match in Europe of the campaign. In the round of 16, Gonçalo Feio's side pulled off an extraordinary comeback against Molde, 3-0 down at Røkkeløkka, only for late goals from Kacper Chodyna and then Luquinhas in Northern Norway to keep the tie alive. Then, back in Warsaw, Ryōya Morishita's strikes forced extra time, before Marc Gual's goal during the added half an hour completed the turnaround.

Legia, as record 15-times Polish champions, are European regulars, but that at this stage, considering this'll be only their sixth quarter-final. Sunday's 2-1 victory at Górnik Zabrze saw them climb up to fifth in the Ekstraklasa, in danger of not qualifying for Europe, albeit they would guarantee this with victory over Pogoń Szczecin in next month's Polish Cup Final at Stadion Narodowy. All eyes are on this huge tie first and foremost and, with a second leg to come at Stamford Bridge, most feel the Legionaries must win at the Polish Army Stadium to have any chance of causing an upset.

Legia Warsaw vs Chelsea Head-to-Head Record

These two clubs have never previously met.

Legia Warsaw Team News

Captain Artur Jędrzejczyk is suspended, having been sent off at the end of extra time against Molde, while Jan Ziółkowski is also banned, after accumulating three yellows. Luquinhas's brace at the weekend is likely to earn his place in the starting lineup, especially considering key attackers Bartosz Kapustka, once of Leicester, and Marc Gual are sidelined.

Radovan Pankov, Steve Kapuadi, Paweł Wszołek and Kacper Chodyna would sit out the trip to Stamford Bridge if cautioned.

Legia Warsaw predicted lineup vs Chelsea: (4-3-3): Tobiasz; Wszołek, Kapuadi, Pankov, Vinagre; Augustyniak, Elitim, Morishita; Chodyna, Luquinhas, Shkurin.

Legia Warsaw Player to Watch vs Chelsea

Given that Legia's two top-scorers this season are both out, Luquinhas will need to come to the fore, hoping to add to his 11 goals so far this season, five of which have come in the Conference League.

Chelsea Team News

Enzo Maresca is expected to continue to rotate heavily in this competition, albeit the Blues travel to Warsaw without the injured Wesley Fofana, Roméo Lavia and David Datro Fofana.

Filip Jörgensen will be back in goal, having started nine of the ten European games so far, while fellow squad players Benoît Badiashile and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as well as youngsters Josh Acheampong and Tyrique George will also be hoping for rare starts.

Surprisingly, fit again duo Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson began the afternoon in Brentford on the bench at the weekend, with Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella and Pedro Neto also rotated out. Given this, and considering they host Ipswich on Sunday, this XI is tough to predict.

Chelsea predicted lineup vs Legia Warsaw: (4-2-3-1): Jörgensen; Gusto, Badiashile, Colwill, Acheampong; Caicedo, Dewsbury-Hall, Madueke, Nkunku, George; Jackson.

Chelsea Player to Watch vs Legia Warsaw

Christopher Nkunku has been the Conference League king this season; seven of his 14 goals have come in this competition, so can the Frenchman add to his tally?

Legia Warsaw vs Chelsea Prediction

We are backing Chelsea for victory at Stadion Wojska Polskiego, a result that would leave them on the brink of a semi-final meeting with either Rapid Wien or Djurgården: Legia Warsaw 1-2 Chelsea.