Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Chelsea : Live Stream, TV Info for Europa League
Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt welcome Maurizio Sarri's Chelsea to the Commerzbank-Arena in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final on Thursday.
The Blues are chasing their first win in the competition since lifting the trophy in 2013, while the game represents Frankfurt's first European semi-final since they won the UEFA Cup in 1980.
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Chelsea Live
Uefa Europa League 2018-19 | Semi-final, first leg
Venue: Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt
Date: Thursday, May 2, 2019
Kick-off time: 8:00pm BST, tonight
Chelsea are favourites to win the match and take a lead back to Stamford Bridge for the second leg, but the German side will provide a stiff test and have already knocked out Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan and Benfica.
Chelsea have been dealt a blow ahead of the match, as they have announced key defender Antonio Rudiger has been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery.
Andreas Christensen is expected to come into the side and partner David Luiz at the heart of the defence. The Denmark international has only made five Premier league starts this season, but he has been a regular in the competition for Sarri.
Elsewhere, Willian is expected to be fit despite being forced off during Sunday's 1-1 Premier League draw against Manchester United after a heavy challenge from Marcos Rojo:
Sunday's result means Chelsea are in the top four of the Premier League with two games left to play and keeps their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League on track.
However, they will also earn a place in Europe's top competition with victory in the Europa League, making this a key game for Sarri's side.
The Blues will need to put in an improved showing from their quarter-final win over Slavia Prague if they are to progress to a final against either Arsenal or Valencia.
The Premier League side led 5-1 on aggregate in the second leg, but a sloppy second-half showing saw Petr Sevcik score twice to set up a tense finish.
Eintracht Frankfurt should present more of a challenge and are likely to offer the Londoners a warm reception.
Adi Hutter's side have an excellent record in the competition and have demonstrated their fighting spirit, winning all six games in the group stage and coming through their quarter-final on away goals despite losing the first leg 4-2 to Benfica.
They will have to cope without the suspended Ante Rebic and the injured Sebastien Haller, but Luka Jovic is a prolific attacker who can cause problems:
Jovic has scored 25 goals in 43 games this season, including a record of eight from 12 in the Europa League, and his form has seen him linked with Spanish giants Real Madrid, according to Goal's Alberto Pinero.
Frankfurt have enjoyed a fine season under Hutter. They lie fourth in the Bundesliga table and could qualify for next season's Champions League through their league position.
However, the Bundesliga outfit will be keen to win the Europa League for the first time, and Chelsea will have to be at their best if they are to take a favourable result back to London.
