Chelsea face Astana in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday but the two sides are set for a bizarre kick-off time of 3:30pm UK time.
Enzo Maresca‘s side make the trip Kazakhstan for their next league phase game. The Blues are flying in Europe and are top of the table, winning all four of their games.
Chelsea has predictably dominated in the competition thus far, scoring 18 goals and only conceding three. Next up is Astana, who haven’t fared so well and find themselves 23rd. They are hovering just above the danger zone. But why is there such a strange kick-off time?
Astana Vs Chelsea: Why The Strange Kick-Off Time At 3:30pm?
Astana vs Chelsea has been handed the bizarre kick-off slot of 3:30pm UK time on Thursday.
This is because the Premier League giants will be playing in Almaty, around 745 miles south of Astana. The reason for the change in location is due to renovations going on at the host’s 30,000-capacity stadium, the Astana Arena.
With Kazakhstan five hours ahead of England, the match will kick off at the regular time of 8:30pm local time – resulting in the strange 3:30pm time slot for UK viewers.
Details of our #UECL match against Astana. ✈️🥶 pic.twitter.com/DllwmdwpOE
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 12, 2024
It will take Marseca’s squad eight hours to travel to Almaty by plane. This is one of the longest away trip for any team in Europe this season.
And while the travelling will be taxing, so will the weather. Chelsea’s players will be met by harsh winter conditions when they touch down in Almaty, with the temperature set to drop to as low as -11 degrees.
The weather and freezing cold temperature also played a part in the kick-off scheduling, with UEFA unable to push the time back any later than 8:30pm.
What Enzo Maresca Has Said On The Astana Fixture
Chelsea boss Maresca wasn’t particularly impressed with the upcoming fixture.
The Blues have a game on Sunday against Brentford, meaning there will be a short turnaround between the football fixtures.
“Eight hours [one way] is not a normal time [to travel] for a game, but we have to go there, we have to play and we want to try to do our best, thinking also about the next game,” said Maresca. “We arrive [at] dinner, [then] bed. Fortunately they are five hours ahead of us so that when we wake up tomorrow it’s already midday here in England.
✈️ Eight-hour flight
🥶 -11C
😮 Play Brentford on SundayChelsea's Conference League game against Astana tomorrow in Kazakhstan is far from ideal 😬#BBCFootball #CFC pic.twitter.com/JM3XDd8wDr
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) December 11, 2024
“We’re going to be there less than 24 hours. It’s more the flight, the temperature for sure. Friday morning we’re going to land around six o’clock in London and it’s already Friday and we have a game Sunday. But we have to play.”
The Chelsea manager was then asked how many layers he would be wearing for the trip. Maresca laughed: “Oh, many of them.”
Ahead of Thursday clash, the best football betting sites in the UK make Chelsea the 7/17 favourites. Astana can be backed at 7/1 with the draw available at 9/2.
