Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace – On the back of a spectacular but heartbreaking night in the Champions League, Chelsea will aim to move one step closer to FA Cup glory when Crystal Palace await them for Sunday’s semi-final at Wembley Stadium.
The two London clubs are vying for the chance to meet either Liverpool or Manchester City in the showpiece event, with the fate of the other finalists to be determined 24 hours before this capital derby.
While Thomas Tuchel’s side scored three goals against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, coming within a whisker of becoming the first English team to win by at least two goals on the Madrid turf, Luka Modric’s delightful ball for Rodrygo to volley home forced extra time before that man Karim Benzema broke blue hearts once more.
Tuchel’s team may have lost their European title defense, but they dominated Real Madrid on their own turf for long stretches and will carry that momentum into Sunday’s semi-final as they attempt to reach the FA Cup final for the third year in a row.
Chelsea had to settle for runners-up trophies in 2020 and 2021, but they have made it to Wembley after beating Chesterfield, Plymouth Argyle, Luton Town, and Middlesbrough, albeit with only one clean sheet against lower-league opponents.
Chelsea has not failed to score a goal since losing the EFL Cup final to Liverpool, and the Blues appear to have recovered from that brief blip at the start of the month, so a shot at a ninth FA Cup title is firmly in their sights, but Tuchel’s opposite number knows a thing or two about success in the prestigious competition.
Chelsea’s left-hand side is still missing Ben Chilwell and Callum Hudson-Odoi, the latter of whom might be out for weeks with an Achilles problem, while Romelu Lukaku is suffering from pain in the same area.
The Belgian did not travel to Madrid with the team but is now back in training, while Ross Barkley has recovered from illness but will not play at Wembley.
Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace – Betting Analysis
Chelsea’s odds of a goal-laden performance look pretty high after putting six past Southampton and three past Real Madrid, and Tuchel’s team have an added desire to win the FA Cup, with their prospects of back-to-back European titles being dead in the water.
With their wealth of offensive options, Palace can trouble any defense, but Gallagher’s absence is a stinging blow for both the player and the manager, and we can only image a fired-up Chelsea side purchasing their final tickets.
Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace – Head-to-Head:
Our Predictions: Home To Win
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