CHELSEA take on Atletico Madrid in a plum Champions League Last 16 first-leg tie this week.
Though the match will NOT be taking place in Madrid, and will instead be played in Bucharest.
The Arena Nationala will host Atletico vs Chelsea
Why is Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea in Bucharest?
Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea will be played at the Arena Nationala in Bucharest, Romania and not Madrid.
This is because of Spanish government restrictions on travellers entering the country from England, due to the new COVID-19 variant.
The second leg is still set for Stamford Bridge on March 17.
Do away goals count at the neutral venue?
Despite ties taking place at neutral venues, UEFA have confirmed that away goals will still count as double if the tie is level.
What time does Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea kick off?
What TV channel is Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea on and can I live stream it?
- Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea is live on BT Sport 2.
- Coverage commences at 7pm – one hour before kick-off.
- To stream the game live, head to the BT Sport website or app.
Can I watch Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea for free?
- EE customers can get BT Sport INCLUDED to their plan at no extra cost if they are on a plan with Smart Benefits – simply log in to EE and choose BT Sport app.
- And then get it on the big screen by texting SPORT to 150 to get a FREE three-month trial of Large Screen so you can cast all the action on your TV.
- At the end of the three months you will automatically roll onto the £5 per month BT Sport Large Screen subscription unless cancelled.
Team news
Former Chelsea transfer target Jose Gimenez will miss Atletico’s game against the Blues after limping off against Levante at the weekend due to a reoccurrence of a muscle injury.
Stefan Savic is likely to be drafted in as a replacement.
Yannick Carrasco, Sime Vrsaljko, Hector Herrera and Kieran Trippier are all out injured, forcing Diego Simeone to bring some youngsters into the squad.
Thiago Silva is expected to return to Chelsea’s starting XI after missing their game against Southampton with a muscular injury.
Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic are both doubts while Tammy Abraham is fit again after starting at Southampton.
How Chelsea could line up on against Atletico
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk