Chelsea kick off their Champions League campaign this season by playing hosts to Russian outfit Zenit in the opening group stage fixture on Tuesday at Stamford Bridge.
Thomas Tuchel’s men, the defending champions of the competition, will be expected to build upon their latest outing which came at home to Aston Villa in a 3-0 win for the Blues.
Romelu Lukaku scored twice on his return to the Bridge while Mateo Kovacic capped off a fantastic showing in midfield with a goal to claim the three points and move up the league standings.
Against Zenit, Tuchel and Co. will be considered the favourites to start their Champions League defence campaign with a win on the back of their recent run of solid form.
However, with their upcoming opponents in European action heading into the contest with results in their kitty too, expect a high-octane clash to get the new campaign underway in the capital city of England.
WHEN & WHERE?
Date: Tuesday 14 September
Time: 4:45 PM GMT
Venue: Stamford Bridge
TEAM NEWS
American forward Christian Pulisic remains a concern on the injury front for the boss Thomas Tuchel who has confirmed that the former Dortmund man is in line to work his way to full fitness.
N’Golo Kante, the ever-present man in midfield for the Blues, has his availability hanging in the balance after missing out on the Aston Villa clash with an ankle problem.
MATCH PREDICTION
All the #MondayMotivation we need! 😁
Back in #UCL action this week! 👊 pic.twitter.com/AjJptv5AoB
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 13, 2021
We expect Chelsea to sail through in their opening group stage fixture with the Champions League holders displaying solid form across all fronts in recent times.
Chelsea 4-1 Zenit
