Chelsea FC travel to Israel to face Maccabi Tel-Aviv in a Champions League clash.
The Blues will be looking to secure a victory that will keep them in the hunt for a Round of 16 spot. With the club’s well-documented struggles, there is a very real chance that Chelsea may not get out of Group G.
Jose Mourinho’s men returned to domestic action with a much-needed win against Norwich City at the weekend. The Blues looked refreshed with several underperforming players putting in their best performance of the season.
Fortunately, Eden Hazard was one of them. The Belgian was masterful, picking up the ball frequently and running at defenders with intent. Hazard has been largely ineffectual and somewhat anonymous so far this season, but Saturday’s display showed us why he collected numerous Player of the Year awards in the last campaign.
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Willian, as has been widely acknowledged, has proven his worth by being Chelsea’s outstanding player in this campaign. Of course, this is not saying much but the fact is that his performance-level would have caught the eye even if the Blues were firing on all cylinders.
Furthermore, stepping up to the plate in a time of crisis shows more character than playing well when everyone around you is.
Despite dispatching Maccabi 4-0 in the first fixture, the Blues will need to be wary of complacency (as if they can afford to be complacent at the moment…). Israel is always a daunting place to play football with the clubs carrying passionate and dedicated fans.
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With some minor security concerns surrounding the fixture, the Chelsea players may already be on edge before they even step into what is certain to be a cauldron.
It is also worth noting that the game will be played in Maccabi Haifa’s ground as Maccabi Tel-Aviv deem theirs insufficient. So with that in mind, here is all that you need to know.
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Maccabi Tel-Aviv v Chelsea FC, 24th November 2015
Venue: Sammy Ofer Stadium
Time: 19:45 BST, 14:45 ET
TV: BT Sport 2 (UK), ESPN3 and Fox Sports local affiliates (US), check your country’s local listings here
As previously mentioned, the Blues won the first fixture at Stamford Bridge 4-0 with Ruben Loftus-Cheek noticeably putting in a man of the match performance.
Thibaut Courtois and Radamel Falcao are still sidelined, but the rest of the squad is available for selection. After some interesting choices by Mourinho for the Norwich clash, it will be interesting to see who he opts for in this high-pressure game.
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Let us know your thoughts and predictions for the game in the comments below!