Derby v Chelsea: Patience the key to Blues staying safe

Petr Cech is getting used to Chelsea's Capital One Cup quirks

Chelsea should avoid an upset at Derby, but may need to wait until the second half to do the damage...

Derby v Chelsea
Tuesday, 19:45
Live on Sky Sports 1

Match Odds: Derby 7.413/2, Chelsea 1.528/15, The Draw 4.77/2

The Capital One Cup quarter-final draw was a doozy, ordering three Premier League heavyweights to visit promotion-hungry Football League sides - Derby v Chelsea, Sheffield United v Southampton and Bournemouth v Liverpool - while the other top-tier teams, Spurs and Newcastle, fight one another.

This should be a serious test for Chelsea. They have botched their previous two away days, drawing at Sunderland and losing to Newcastle. They toiled through the first two rounds with 2-1 wins over Bolton and Shrewsbury. They are facing one of the Football League's three finest clubs, with Derby victorious in ten of their latest 15 fixtures (eight triumphs and three draws in 12 at the iPro Stadium).

On top of all that, Steve McClaren is a bogey manager for Jose Mourinho, beating him in two of their past three Premier League meetings when in charge of Middlesbrough.

However, there are compelling counters to all the pro-Derby points. Chelsea are taking the serious test as it is intended, with Mourinho claiming that he only intends to rest the overworked Gary Cahill, who should be missing the game through suspension anyway after his antics against Hull.

Mourinho hasn't been eliminated from a cup competition by lower-league opponents since he first arrived in west London over a decade ago, and the Blues won 2-0 at Derby in last season's FA Cup when McClaren's men were looking similarly dangerous.

As far as Chelsea's stilted progress in the early rounds goes, they found a way to win, as they have done in over half of their dozen road trips this term despite their recent north-east wobbles. Derby meanwhile are enduring a rough few weeks, losing two of their last three Championship matches.

Half Time

If you are desperate to take Chelsea on in some form then fear not as the option of laying them to lead at half time is an appetising one.

The Premier League pacesetters were drawing at half time in each of their last three Capital One Cup ties. Two of those were away and two were against Football League clubs. They have been ahead at the break just once in seven away clashes across all competitions - the 5-0 thrashing of Schalke.

By contrast, the Rams haven't been behind at the interval all campaign as hosts. In fact, they haven't confronted a half-time deficit in front of their fans since January. When Chelsea won there in the FA Cup earlier in that month, they did so with two goals in the closing 25 minutes.

Best Bet: Lay Chelsea to lead at half time @ 2.1211/10
Other Recommended Bet: Back Draw/Chelsea @ 4.94/1