Betting Tips: BATE vs Chelsea

With Baha's team not particularly strong at the Borisov Arena in Europe, Al Hain-Cole is backing the Blues to ease to a high-scoring victory

Chelsea can book their place in the Europa League knockout stages with two games to spare when they take on BATE at the Borisov Arena on Thursday.

The Blues have taken nine points from the first available nine in Group L, leaving them six points clear at the top already.

Having run out comfortable 3-1 winners when the sides met at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago, they are 42/100 (1.42) favourites with William Hill to qualify with another victory here.

Alyaksey Baha’s team have won just one of their last nine home matches in this competition, but can be backed at 6/1 (7.00) to pull off an upset in this one.

Five of the most recent nine Europa League fixtures at this stadium have resulted in draws, and you can get odds of 15/4 (4.75) on this once finishing up all square.

Olivier Giroud should be fit to return after missing Sunday’s win over Crystal Palace, with Ethan Ampadu the only other injury concern.

Vladislav Malkevich and Vladislav Mukhamedov are both long term injury absentees for the home side.

Although a trip to Belarus would seem on the face of it like a classic difficult European away tie, the hosts’ recent record in their own back yard is hardly intimidating.

BATE are yet to win in four European home matches this season, and have lost both of the most recent two – conceding seven goals in the process.

Eager to wrap up their place in the knockout stages, Maurizio Sarri’s men look set to record a similarly handsome victory against a team they brushed aside 3-1 a fortnight ago.

All in all, odds of 19/20 (1.95) look like solid value on Chelsea easing to victory once again in their seventh match in a row that features at least three goals.