The firsts keep coming for newly-appointed Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior, who will make his Champions League debut with the Blues on Wednesday, following recent introductions to the Premier League, FA Cup and EFL Cup, softfootball reported.
Chelsea’s league-phase campaign has been inconsistent so far. Before Enzo Maresca’s exit, the Blues picked up three wins, one draw and two defeats from their opening six matches, with the most recent being a painful 2-1 away loss to Atalanta.
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Those results leave Chelsea 13th in the table, but just three points separate them from third-placed Paris Saint-Germain, highlighting how tight the standings are.
Crucially, Chelsea’s problems in Europe have all come away from home. At Stamford Bridge, they have beaten Barcelona, Ajax and Benfica, extending an impressive unbeaten run of 17 European group or league-phase matches.
The Blues are also on a 21-game European scoring streak and come into this match after a solid 2-0 Premier League win over Brentford.
Ahead of the game, Chelsea confirmed the fixture on their official X handle, with one fan replying:
Hope you’ve got your game faces on, lads! Let’s show Pafos what proper football looks like time to make it a night to remember!
The reaction reflects growing optimism around the club.
Pafos, meanwhile, have impressed in their first Champions League campaign, taking points from Villarreal, Monaco, Olympiacos and Kairat. However, they sit 26th and remain winless away from home in the competition, having failed to score on their travels.
Team News
Chelsea are monitoring Tosin Adarabioyo’s hamstring, while Mudryk, Lavia and Colwill are ruled out. Pafos may be stretched defensively after injuries to David Luiz, David Goldar and Joao Correira.
Possible lineup
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; Acheampong, Fofana, Badiashile, Hato; Fernandez, Santos; George, Pedro, Garnacho; Delap
Pafos FC possible starting lineup:
Michail; Bruno, Luckassen, Langa, Pileas; Pepe, Sunjic, Quina; Dragomic, Silva, Orsic
Prediction
Most major platforms expect Chelsea to dominate, with a 4-0 home win widely tipped as Rosenior’s side push back toward the top eight.
Where to watch
The UEFA Champions League match between Chelsea and Pafos FC will be played on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, with kick-off at 8:00 PM GMT (9:00 PM WAT in Lagos).
In Nigeria, the game will be shown live on SuperSport, specifically on SS Premier League (Channel 223) on DStv, and it may also be available to stream via DStv Stream, depending on your subscription package.
In the UK, the match will be broadcast on TNT Sports 3, with live streaming available on the Discovery+ app and website.
In the United States, fans can watch via Paramount+, including the Paramount+ Amazon Channel and ViX.
Chelsea official platforms will not show the match live, but fans can follow live audio commentary and watch highlights after full-time on the club’s app and website.
