Chelsea vs Porto: Three things to look for in Champions League clash

3. Result

Tournament football is about one thing and one thing only—results. The team which plays the best football or scores the most goals is often forgotten quickly. However, the one which wins the whole thing has its name etched in history. Results matter in a tournament, more so than anything else.

Tuchel’s men will fly to Seville this week in search of a positive result. The Premier League side has been designated the ‘away’ team tag for this match, despite it being held in a neutral venue. That means that getting a positive result in this one becomes even more important for Chelsea. Furthermore, scoring goals will be a priority for the team, as it would hand them a considerable advantage ahead of the return leg next week.

Chelsea has already registered a positive result in Seville this season. The Blues visited Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan for a group match against Sevilla and were 4-0 winners on the night with Olivier Giroud scoring a remarkable quadruple. The London outfit has history on its side too. The Blues have beaten Porto in five of their last eight Champions League matches, including their last knockout stage encounter in 2007. Furthermore, the team has enjoyed more success only against Spanish oppositions in the competition than they have against the Portuguese.

The odds are heavily in favour of Chelsea ahead of the match. However, that means the pressure is on the Blues to get a positive result from the game. Porto will relish being the underdogs, as they did against Juventus. As such, Tuchel’s team will have to be wary not to slip up like the Bianconeri, who were unable to get the better of the Dragoes, despite possessing arguably the best Champions League player in history.

What are the things you’ll be looking for in the match? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!