It’s been a rough season for Chelsea, with Jose Mourinho spending much of it on the hot seat thanks to their struggles in the league. Things have been somewhat better for them in the Champions League, but they still haven’t locked up a spot in the knockout rounds. A win today won’t necessarily secure that either -- though a win for Porto against Dynamo Kiev would do that, and the reverse result would keep them alive for first place -- but it would be a huge step in the right direction.
Chelsea vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch Champions League online
The Blues need a win to stay alive for first place in their group.
Of course, Maccabi Tel-Aviv won’t be eager to just hand Chelsea a win -- though it’s not as if they’ve had much like in the Champions League this season. They’ve scored just one goal in the entire group stage so far, including shipping four to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge back in September. You’d expect them to be somewhat better at home, naturally, but they’re still facing a severely uphill climb against a Chelsea team with a point to prove if they want to earn their first Champions League point.
Key player -- Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
Despite his obvious and significant talents, Hazard has struggled mightily for much of this season. A recent move to behind the striker from the left wing, however, has seemed to breathe life into the Belgian attacker, giving him more time on the ball and letting him better use his vision and passing skills. A match like this -- against a team that’s a step slower and a bit physically weaker than your typical Premier League team -- would be an excellent chance to let him get more comfortable in the role, and he could really show off in a big way in a game like this.
Key matchup -- Gal Alberman (Maccabi Tel-Aviv) vs. Nemanja Matic (Chelsea)
Like many of his teammates, Matic has too-frequently struggled to play at a consistently high level this season. Especially against fairly active midfielders, he’s struggled to consistently keep his play organized and disciplined, proving too easy to pull out of position and then exploit as a weak link in Chelsea’s midfield. Well, guess what? Alberman is such a midfielder, and if he can pull Matic around by his nose like that, it might just give Maccabi a chance to steal something in this match.
Maccabi Tel-Aviv injuries and suspensions
Out: Dejan Radonjić In doubt: Tal Ben Chaim
Chelsea injuries and suspensions
Out: Falcao, Thibaut Courtois
Match date/time: Tues., 2:45 p.m. ET, 9:45 p.m. local
Venue: Sammy Ofer Stadium, Haifa, Israel
TV: Fox Sports regional networks, MASN, MASN2 (US), BT Sport 2 (U.K.)
Online: Fox Sports Go, Fox Soccer 2 Go (US), BT Sport Live Streaming (U.K.)
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