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Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea will embark on a near 5,000-mile round trip to face Qarabag FK in the Champions League. Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, is a happy hunting ground for Chelsea. Wednesday’s trip will evoke fond memories of beating Arsenal 4-1 in the 2019 Europa League final and a pair of Champions League wins over Qarabag the season prior. The Blues, who secured a narrow derby win over Tottenham at the weekend, currently sit 11th in the table, having bounced back from September’s defeat in Munich with wins over Benfica and Ajax. Qarabag are not far behind in the standings, though, trailing Chelsea only on goal difference. They stunned Benfica 3-2 to open their own campaign - a result which directly led to the Portuguese side sacking manager Bruno Lage and hiring Jose Mourinho. The 12-time champions of Azerbaijan have since managed a victory over Copenhagen and tasted defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid. They come into this match on impressive form, though, with the Atletico match their only defeat in their last 11 outings. Qarabag vs Chelsea is scheduled for a 5.45pm GMT kick-off on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. The match will take place at the Tofig Bahramov Republican Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan. TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on TNT Sports 2, with coverage starting at 5pm ahead of a 5.45pm kick-off. Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Discovery+ app and website. Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog. After facing a minor injury crisis earlier in October, Chelsea have just a handful of absentees for the trip to Azerbaijan. They include Cole Palmer and Benoit Badiashile, neither of whom are expected to return until after the November international break. Dario Essugo (thigh) and Levi Colwill (ACL) remain long-term absentees. Liam Delap will return to the squad after being suspended for Sunday’s derby win over Tottenham. As he did with last season’s Conference League away day in Kazakhstan, Maresca may look to rotate his squad against lesser opposition to spare some of his key players two long-haul flights. The match could provide an opportunity for fringe squad members to impress, with the likes of Marc Guiu, Tyrique George, and Reggie Walsh all in line to appear. Qarabag have made it to this stage of the season with no major injuries, though striker Musa Qurbanly, goalless in two cameo appearances this season, is a doubt with a knock to the knee. Chelsea have scored ten goals in their two meetings with Qarabag, and will be keen to celebrate Guy Fawkes night with some more fireworks in Baku. The challenge for the Blues is to avoid underestimating their opposition. Qarabag are no slouches, as proven in earlier Champions League wins over Benfica and Copenhagen. It could prove a banana skin for Chelsea, who have been far from consistent this season, but having been boosted by last weekend’s derby victory, a professional performance should be enough to see them through. Qarabag 1-4 Chelsea Chelsea and Qarabag were Champions League group-mates in the 2017-18 season. The Blues scored ten unanswered goals over the two matches. Qarabag wins: 0 Chelsea wins: 2 Qarabag to win: 13/2 Chelsea to win: 3/10 Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
