Champions League Matchday 7: Chelsea vs Pafos facts

Chelsea and Pafos will both look to bounce back from UEFA Champions League defeats as they meet at Stamford Bridge in the penultimate round of league phase fixtures with both clubs under new management.

Four points separate the sides at kick-off, Chelsea lying in 13th position in the standings ahead of Matchday 7 on ten points (W3 D1 L2) and Pafos 26th on six points (W1 D3 L2).

Last match

This is the teams' first meeting and Pafos' first against English opponents.

Chelsea's only previous meetings with a Cypriot side came against APOEL in the 2009/10 group stage, Nicolas Anelka getting the only goal in Cyprus on Matchday 2 and Michael Essien and Didier Drogba on target in a 2-2 Matchday 6 draw in London in which Nenad Mirosavljević scored an 87th-minute equaliser for the visitors.

Chelsea

This is Chelsea's 20th Champions League campaign, and a first since 2022/23, when they progressed to the quarter-finals – they have reached the knockout rounds in their last eight campaigns.

Enzo Maresca's side won the UEFA Conference League in 2024/25, beating Real Betis 4-1 in the final.

Chelsea parted company with Maresca on 1 January, appointing Liam Rosenior as his replacement five days later.

Pafos

Pafos are in the Champions League for the first time. They took part in UEFA competition for the first time in 2024/25, losing to Elfsborg in the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round but going on to reach the Conference League round of 16.

Pafos were crowned Cypriot champions for the first time in 2024/25 and are the third team from Cyprus to reach the Champions League proper after APOEL (four times) and Anorthosis Famagusta (once) and the first since APOEL in 2017/18.

Coach Juan Carlos Carcedo departed for Spartak Moskva on 5 January; Albert Celades succeeded him four days later.

Key stats

Pafos defender David Luiz made 248 appearances, scoring 18 goals, across his two spells at Chelsea (2011–14, 2016–21). The centre-back won the Champions League in 2012, two UEFA Europa Leagues (2013, 2019) and the Premier League title during his seven seasons at the west London club.

A 2-1 defeat at Atalanta on Matchday 6 was only Chelsea's third in their last 19 European games (W15 D1).

Chelsea have scored in their last 21 European games and have opened the scoring in their last five.

Indeed, none of Chelsea's last 54 European fixtures have finished goalless.

Chelsea have lost only two of their last 62 European group stage/league phase matches at Stamford Bridge and are unbeaten in 17 (W13 D4).

The Londoners have won nine of their last ten home matches in UEFA competition (L1), including all three this season.

A 2-0 loss at Juventus on Matchday 6 was only Pafos' second in 12 Champions League matches this season (W5 D5).

Overall Pafos have lost only three of their last 18 European fixtures (W8 D7) – although they have won only two of the last seven (D3 L2).

The defeat at Juventus ended Pafos' five-match unbeaten away run (W3 D2) – although they are without a goal in their three league phase matches.