Chelsea v Swansea League Cup Prediction 23rd January 2013

Swansea v Chelsea Betting Preview
The Swans have one foot in the door of the League Cup final this season after taking a fantastic 2-0 first leg win at Stamford Bridge. It was something of a smash and grab raid though as the Welsh side capitalised on defensive mistakes from Chelsea, despite the home side having the lion’s share of the game. The Swans have already hosted Chelsea this season, taking a 1-1 draw in the Premier League. Can Chelsea’s away form carry through to a storming night in Wales to book passage through to the final, or is there just too much for Benitez’s men to do?

Swansea v Chelsea Betting Odds at online bookmaker Ladbrokes
Chelsea Evens, Draw 13/5, Swansea 11/4

Swansea v Chelsea Recommended Bet:
The Swans, with the clinical finishing of Michu to open the scoring, stunned Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the first leg. Swansea are on a pretty good run of form, unbeaten in their last six in the Premier League and have lost just one of their last nine at the Liberty Stadium in the top flight, a run which included a draw against Chelsea. So they have a massive two goal cushion to take into the second leg on home soil with them and they are unbeaten in their last three matches against Chelsea now, another big positive for Michael Laudrup’s men. However, that win at Stamford Bridge did end a run of five games without a win over Chelsea in all competitions for the Swans. It was also the first time in nineteen League Cup away matches that they have kept a clean sheet, so they could be trending towards the final. Swansea are aiming to reach the final of the League Cup for the first time, and following their FA Cup exit, is their last chance of silverware this term.

Their recent form does hint that they are good enough for a draw against the visiting Blues. They will be well aware that they will come under the cosh at some point, as Chelsea have to come out and play. But that alone could play into their own hands as they were superb on the break at Stamford Bridge and know that a goal on Wednesday night will probably kill this tie off. If the Blues want to do it without a penalty shoot out, they need at least three goals on the night. They have faced a similar situation once before in the competition, losing 2-0 in the first leg of the 1991 League Cup semi final and going on to lose 5-1 on aggregate. Chelsea need goals so that will probably mean a start for Demba Ba after he was only used as a late sub in Chelsea’s league win over Arsenal on the weekend. That could have been a smart move by boss Benitez, with Fernando Torres on a seven match streak without finding the back of the net.

Ba had a goal dubiously disallowed in the first leg, which, had it stood, would have put a whole different complex on this game. Another key player for them will be Spaniard Juan Mata, who has notched up two goals and four assists in his five League Cup appearances for the Blues. Chelsea have the talent to produce goals, but will how well they cope at the back, because they can look vulnerable when being challenged on the break? A positive for Chelsea is that they have scored three or more goals in five of their last eight away games in all competitions and so that is a warning sign for Swansea if they are thinking about sitting back for ninety minutes.

Chelsea are looking for their seventh League Cup final but it will be a big hill for them to climb. Might well they win on the night, but Swansea are a very resilient side, so can Chelsea do it by a big enough margin? They have to come out strong and try to get an early goal. The longer they go without scoring, the more Swansea will grow in confidence. It could be worth taking Demba Ba as first goalscorer at a price of 4/1 with online bookmaker Ladbrokes.

Form
Swansea DDWDLW, Chelsea LWLWDW

Stat Attack
Swansea have only lost one of their last 35 matches by more than a two goal margin
Swansea are unbeaten in their last three matches against Chelsea
Chelsea have scored three or more goal in five of their last away matches in all competitions
Juan Mata has scored two and assisted four in five League Cup appearances

Online bookmaker Promotion
Get some great coverage on your Swansea v Chelsea First Goalscorer betting at online bookmaker Ladbrokes. If Swansea’s Michu score first on the night, then the bookie will refund all losing First Goalscorer bets placed on the game. In the profitable market, Chelsea’s Demba Ba is favourite at 4/1 ahead of Michu and Mata at 7/1 to open the scoring. New customers registering an account with Ladbrokes can get up to a free £50 bet as a welcome bonus too.