Estêvão play today? where to watch Qarabag x Chelsea live in a Champions League duel

Chelsea visits Qarabag this Wednesday (5), at 2:45 pm (Brasília time), at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, in Baku, Azerbaijan, for a crucial clash in the fourth round of the UEFA Champions League league stage. The match brings together two teams that have six points in the competition and seek to consolidate their position at the top of the table to advance to the next stage. The duel puts the weight of the English club’s history, one of the favorites, against the surprising campaign of the Azerbaijani team, which plays with the support of its fans at home.

The Blues and the home team are separated only by goal difference in the general classification of the new league phase, which increases the importance of a victory for both. Qarabag, under the command of Gurban Gurbanov, is trying to maintain the pace and reach a place in the G-8, a group that guarantees a direct place in the round of 16, while Chelsea wants their first victory away from home in this edition.  The game will be broadcast live on TNT, on pay TV, and on the streaming HBO Max service.

Brazilian striker Estêvão, 18 years old, is confirmed among the starters for the clash. The young man, who scored his first goal in the Champions League in the 5-1 defeat of Ajax, is coach Enzo Maresca’s bet to lead the team’s offensive force in Baku.

Estêvão, who has already made history by becoming Chelsea’s youngest player to score goals in the Champions League, starts the match alongside other young talents such as João Pedro and Andrey Santos. The coach’s decision signals confidence in the Brazilian’s offensive potential, as he seeks to consolidate his good form and actively contribute in the final third of the field.

Newrecord and the rise of the striker

This Wednesday’s lineup is Estêvão’s second as a starter in the Champions League, reinforcing his rise at the London club.

In his few appearances, the striker has already scored three goals in the last five games for the Blues, counting all competitions, including a great goal in the English League Cup and the goal scored in injury time in a victory in the Premier League. Since arriving in London in July, Estêvão has accumulated two goals and one assist in official matches and has been a key player in Maresca’s strategy for circulating the ball and breaking defensive lines.

The Brazilian’s statistics in European competition, which include one goal in three games played and high passing efficiency, demonstrate his adaptability and responsiveness in high-level games. His style of play, with direct confrontations and boldness on the field, has been praised by the technical committee and the specialized press.

Challenge in Baku and the history of English dominance

The match at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium presents Chelsea with a logistical challenge, facing a vjourney of more than 5 thousand kilometers and the need to adapt to the time zone. Qarabag, fueled by the surprising campaign, is betting on the home advantage and the support of the fans to win important points.

The Azeri team demonstrated offensive power by scoring goals in 100% of the matches played up to this round in the league phase, indicating that Chelsea’s defense will have a lot of work to do. Qarabag, led by Gurban Gurbanov, are looking to break their largely unfavorable record against English clubs, who have won all seven of their previous meetings in European competitions. In the two previous duels with Chelsea in 2017, the London team scored 6-0 and 4-0 defeats.

Maresca strategy and classification scenarios

Coach Enzo Maresca must rotate the squad due to the long trip and important absences, but remains focused on a ball possession strategy and intense circulation in midfield.

• The victory is essential for Chelsea to solidify its position in the table and seek entry into the G-8, a group that guarantees a direct place in the round of 16 of the competition.
• A victory would lift Chelsea to nine points, depending on parallel results from teams like Inter Milan and Arsenal to define their final position.
• Qarabag, in turn, is fighting for a draw which would already be a valuable result to keep alive the chances of competing in the playoffs of the knockout phase, which brings together the teams classified between 9th and 24th position.
• The Azerbaijani team, which has already beaten Benfica and Copenhagen in this edition, adopts a4-2-3-1 formation, prioritizing compactness in the middle and quick transitions on the counterattack.

The match will be refereed by Austrian Sebastian Gishamer, with VAR operated by Manuel Schuettengruber.