Chelsea vs Basel Live Stream: Watch Europa League Football Online Free
Chelsea travel to Switzerland to face Basel in the first leg of the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday night, and will be looking to make a European final despite having crashed out of UEFA's Champions League earlier this season.
With their group stage exit from the Champions League, Chelsea became the first club not to advance to the knockout stage after winning the tournament the previous season.
Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez will have to get his team focused on this semi final, and ensure they are not distracted by the team's fight for a top four place in the English Premier League, which would guarantee their spot in the Champions League next season.
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Chelsea have now been listed as favorites to win the Europa League, but Basel has proven difficult for other European teams while playing at St. Jakob Park.
One bright spot for Chelsea is that it appears as though striker Fernando Torres seems to have rediscovered how to find the back of the net and has four goals in his last three Europa League appearances.
Benitez, who will almost certainly be released at the end of the season following a contentious time at Chelsea, will be focused on winning this European tournament to silence critics who have hassled the Spanish coach since he took over in November.
Basel and manager Murat Yakin should have confidence going into Thursday's match given that the club eliminated London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, in the quarter-finals following a dramatic penalty shoot-out.
Basel has enjoyed a strong home record which is one of the reasons they are playing for a spot in the final. The club has won six games at home since the beginning of the group stages.
The club has also enjoyed success against other English teams, and have not lost in their last four meetings against English opposition.
Kick-off for the match is at 3:05 p.m. ET and can be watched online here.
