CHELSEA take on Dinamo Zagreb in their first Champions League clash of the season TODAY.
The Blues have had an inconsistent start to their Premier League campaign and will want to get things off to a good start in Europe, but Croatian side Zagreb represent a tricky match-up.
- Start time: 5.45pm BST
- TV/Live stream: BT Sport 4
- Zagreb XI: Livakovic, Moharrami, Sutalo, Peric, Ristovski, Ademi, Misic, Ivanusec, Ljubicic, Petkovic, Orsic
- Chelsea XI: Arizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Fofana, Koulibaly, James, Chilwell, Kovacic, Mount, Sterling, Aubameyang
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Dinamo Zagreb vs Chelsea latest odds
Chelsea are the favourites to win this evening’s Champions League opener as they look to get their European campaign underway with three points.
Here are the latest odds courtesy of Betfair:
- Dinamo Zagreb to win 7/1
- Draw 15/4
- Chelsea win 2/5
Manchester City are the bookies’ favourites for the whole tournament. Whilst Chelsea sit behind Tottenham as the eighth most likely team to lift the trophy.
Aubameyang hoping to end no.9 curse
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang makes his first appearance for Chelsea this evening, following his deadline day move from Barcelona.
The ex-Arsenal man has taken on the number 9 jersey at the club which Tuchel previously joked was ‘cursed’, stating:
“It’s cursed, it’s cursed, people tell me it’s cursed! There was not a big demand for number nine, nobody wants to touch it.”
Below are a list of the last 11 players to wear the iconic number at the Bridge:
- Romelu Lukaku
- Tammy Abraham
- Gonzalo Higuain
- Alvaro Morata
- Radamel Falcao
- Fernado Torres
- Franco Di Santo
- Steve Sidwell
- Khalid Boulahrouz
- Hernan Crespo
- Mateja Kezman
Can Chelsea’s new signing change the curse, starting this evening?
.Credit: Getty Chelsea bench
Bettinelli, Broja, Chalobah, Chukwuemeka, Cucurella, Gallagher, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Mendy, Pulisic, Zakaria, Ziyech
Dinamo Zagreb XI
Livakovic, Moharrami, Sutalo, Peric, Ristovski, Ademi, Misic, Ivanusec, Ljubicic, Petkovic, Orsic
Substitutes: Baturina, Bockaj, Bulat, Drmic, Emreli, Lauritsen, Marin, Nevistic, Spikic, Stefuli, Theophile-Catherine, Zagorac
Aubameyang starts for Blues
Thomas Tuchel rings the changes for today’s game, most notably, handing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang his first Chelsea start.
Ben Chilwell’s excellent substitute performance against West Ham which saw him grab a goal and assist earns him a place in the starting 11.
Kepa Arizabalaga, Mason Mount, Cesar Azpilicueta and Kai Havertz are also recalled to the line-up.
Arizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Fofana, Koulibaly, James, Chilwell, Kovacic, Mount, Sterling, Aubameyang
.Credit: Getty Good evening from Zagreb
Champions League football is back!
And to kick us off, Croatian Champions Dinamo Zagreb host Chelsea in what looks to be a tall order for Zagreb boss Ante Cacic, who’s side have never progressed past the group stage of this competition.
Chelsea come to Zagreb with a far better record, lifting the trophy twice in their history, most recently in 2021.
That being said, their form has been inconsistent in the Premier League, taking just nine points from a possible 18 available. A controversial win over West Ham on the weekend leaves the Blues in fifth position, either side of Manchester united and Liverpool.
The action is scheduled for 5:45 at the Stadion Maksimir and we will bring you confirmation of both team’s line-ups shortly as we build up to kick-off.
.Credit: Getty
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
