Thomas Tuchel’s Blues would hope to get back to winning ways on Wednesday night against FC Porto after their recent turmoil at the Bridge saw them reeling to a shock defeat at the hands of relegation favourites West Brom.
A toothless showing from Chelsea was witnessed on Saturday afternoon with Sam Allardyce’s side picking up a crucial three points from their on the road travels to London in what could prove to be a major blow to Tuchel’s hopes of steering his side to a top-four finish.
Our unbeaten start under Thomas Tuchel comes to an end at the Bridge. #CHEWBA pic.twitter.com/esK8wgKqzT
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 3, 2021
Chelsea were far from their now usual self on the pitch against the Baggies with Tuchel’s hiring earlier this year bringing about a major turnaround for the Blues in domestic action and the new gaffer boasting of a 14-game unbeaten streak before West Brom spoiled the party.
Victory in the away leg would come as a major boost for Chelsea ahead of next week’s return fixture and Tuchel and Co. would be gunning for a similar showing as put out against Atletico Madrid in the Last-16 meeting.
FC Porto head into the midweek clash with three wins on the trot and Sérgio Conceição’s men will aim to make life difficult for the visitors on the Seville pitch which presents itself as a neutral venue for either side.
A win in the upcoming fixture would give Chelsea a shot in the arm following their recent upheaval at the Bridge and with Premier League action later this weekend, the Blues have all to play for when they take the pitch in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
WHEN & WHERE?
A chance to bounce straight back! 💪#MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/9hTUrECmXH
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 5, 2021
Date: Wednesday 7 April
Time: 9 PM GMT
Venue: Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium
TEAM NEWS
N’Golo Kante is expected to miss the forthcoming tie on the back of the France international sustaining a minor injury blow while on international duty with the Les Bleus.
Kante’s absence is likely to spell out a continuation of the Jorginho-Kovacic midfield pairing which has come into use much more often in recent times by the Chelsea gaffer Tuchel.
Following the defeat to the Baggies on Saturday this past weekend, Tuchel is likely to ring in changes at the back and the Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma link-up would drop down to the bench to make way for the now firmly established first-choice duo of Antonio Rudiger and Andres Christensen.
Timo Werner endured another shaky showing in front of the goal last time around and the German forward’s dismal run of form might mean the recall of the veteran Olivier Giroud into the Chelsea XI as Tuchel’s attacking options remain limited in wake of his side’s troubles going forward.
KEY BATTLE
Pepe vs Jorginho
FC Porto’s Pepe will shoulder the responsibility of safeguarding the backline for the hosts coming up against an under-fire Chelsea frontline which despite its patchy form boasts of big-name figures in Werner, Havertz and Ziyech.
The former Real Madrid man has ample experience of playing at the highest level in club football and would be key for Sérgio Conceição’s side as they eye a shock entry into the semi-finals of Europe’s elite club competition.
Jorginho, meanwhile, will claim the role of the Chelsea midfield general in Kante’s extended absence and the Italy international’s anchoring from the centre of the park would be pivotal towards the Blues maintaining a decent flow of football against FC Porto.
Match Prediction
Despite FC Porto booking their place in the last eight of the Champions League, Sérgio Conceição’s side remains the weakest link amongst the octet vying for the prize and the Blues will hope to gather a favourable result away from home come Wednesday night.
We predict Tuchel’s men to edge out a 2-1 scoreline and gain the upper hand leading up to next week’s second leg showdown.
