 | Chelsea versus ZilinaLocation: Stamford Bridge (London)Date: Tuesday, November 23 Time: 2:45 p.m. Eastern Records (W-D-L, +/-, Place): Chelsea, 4-0-0, +10, 1st Zilina, 0-0-4, -14, 4th |  |
UEFA Champions League Tuesday: Chelsea Host Zilina, With A Point Securing Top In Group F
Two straight losses, to teams who are, on paper, much better than they. The threat of the resignation of their manager. Nerve troubles, hernias, malaria and broken toes. To say Chelsea are battered and bruised would be an understatement. But should this be the year the club manage to hoist the Champions League trophy for the first time, these bleak days of November will be quickly forgotten.
The Blues welcome MŠK Žilina to Stamford Bridge today, knowing that they need only a point against the Slovak side to secure the top spot in Group F-advancement to the knockout stages was already procured with a 4-1 win over Spartak Moscow. With this bit of breathing room, Chelsea are able to start their youngsters rather than continue to wear down their experienced players, nearly all of whom seem to be carrying some sort of knock.
Žilina, meanwhile, have yet to pick up a point in the group stages, scoring just once (at home against Chelsea) and falling 0-7 to Marseille in their last Champions League match. The club still sits six points clear at the top of the Slovak Superliga table, but that success hasn't translated to the tournament. In the Marseille match, the team chose an experimental formation and found themselves humiliated. Learning from their mistakes, Žilina won't try such tactics again, and against a Blues side featuring Jeffrey Bruma in defense and Josh McEachran in central midfield, the club just might find their first group stage win.
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