Prediction: RB Salzburg vs Chelsea

Prediction: Chelsea win

Best Odds: 8/11

Bookmaker: 888sport

The UEFA Champions League is back once again this week as we edge closer and closer to finding out who will qualify for the knockout stages of the competition. There are just two sets of fixtures remaining in the group stage and plenty of teams are still in with a chance, and in Group E, the sides in the best position to succeed will collide on Tuesday when RB Salzburg battle Chelsea.

RB Salzburg

The ‘Red Bull’ influence has certainly allowed Salzburg to thrive in Europe more so than they would’ve done before. At the same time, though, it does seem as if getting beyond the groups is regularly a step too far, which is why there’s so much on the line here. They lead the Austrian Bundesliga and they’re full of confidence in the UCL, meaning the pressure will be on when Chelsea come to town.

Chelsea

Graham Potter has already done a great job of shifting the identity of Chelsea Football Club since taking the job. They feel more together as a unit and although they aren’t the frontrunners in a domestic or European sense, they’ve got a lot of quality in their ranks. If they can keep this up, we see no reason why they can’t kick on and lay claim to some silverware by the time we reach May.

Factors to Consider

• In their fixture back in September, Salzburg and Chelsea drew 1-1.
• Salzburg have won four and drawn two of their last six games.
• Chelsea have won four and drawn two of their last six games.
• Salzburg have scored 14 goals and conceded five in their last six games.
• Chelsea have scored 11 goals and conceded one in their last six games.

Conclusion

The defensive strength that Chelsea continue to showcase under their new regime is more than enough reason to back them in this one, especially when you consider how consistent they’ve been with grinding out results recently. We expect this to be a professional outing from the Blues, albeit a bit uninspiring, as they edge out a 2-0 win and probably seal their place in the last 16.

Prediction: Chelsea win

Best Odds: 8/11

Bookmaker: 888sport