Chelsea faces a challenging Champions League test against Qarabag in Baku, Azerbaijan, today, November 5, 2025, with kick-off scheduled for 5.45pm GMT. The Blues are making a near 5,000-mile round trip for this match.
Both teams have accumulated six points from their first three matches in the competition, each boasting two wins and one loss. Qarabag's campaign includes a notable 3-2 victory over Benfica, which led to Benfica sacking their manager and hiring Jose Mourinho, and a win over Copenhagen. However, they also suffered a defeat against Atletico Madrid. Chelsea, after an initial defeat to Bayern Munich, bounced back with wins against Benfica and Ajax. In their most recent Champions League match, Chelsea dominated Ajax with a 5-1 victory.
This trip to Baku marks Chelsea's third visit to the city, having previously played there in a Champions League match in 2017 and the 2019 Europa League final, where they beat Arsenal 4-1. This time, the match will be held at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, which has a capacity of 31,000.
Qarabag, the 12-time champions of Azerbaijan, have been in impressive form, with their match against Atletico being their only defeat in the last 11 outings. In the Azerbaijan Premier League, they beat Imisli 2-0 to move second in the league. Qarabag will be without Ramil Sheydayev and Joni Montiel for the match. They will rely on Leandro Andrade for goals and Mateusz Kochalski, their goalkeeper, is expected to be kept busy.
Chelsea have only a few absentees for the trip to Azerbaijan, including Cole Palmer and Benoit Badiashile. Chelsea are competing in their 20th Champions League campaign and have progressed to the knockout stage in each of their last eight appearances. They are aiming for their fifth consecutive away win in all competitions. Chelsea have scored in each of their last 18 European games.
Historically, Qarabag has struggled against English teams, losing all seven previous encounters and conceding 21 goals. The two teams previously met in the 2017-18 Champions League group stage, with Chelsea winning 6-0 at Stamford Bridge and 4-0 in Baku.
The match will be televised live on TNT Sports 2 in the UK, with coverage starting at 5pm.
