Chelsea travels to Turin on Wednesday for one of the most highly anticipated group stage matches of the entire round in the UEFA Champions League. The Blues will face a big test early on as they square off against Juventus on the road. Thomas Tuchel’s men suffered their first defeat of the season to Manchester City at the weekend, so this massive fixture represents the opportunity to bounce bag in a big way. The Group H giants will tussle for control of the group after both earning three points in their first week games. Both the home and visiting sides will be without a number of key players, but the quality elsewhere on the pitch makes up for the absences.
Here is how The Pride of London team sees the contest playing out:
Olaoluwa Nwobodo: 0-2 Chelsea
Juve is without key players, but so are the Blues. The difference is that Chelsea has depth that the Italian giants cannot boast. The Blues have had a reality check and would probably do a lot to correct the mistakes made in the past week. They struggled to beat Zenit, they cannot afford to keep struggling if they want a deep run in the Champions League this season. A comfortable 2-0 win should reassure everyone.
Hugo Amaya: 0-1 Chelsea
Not a good display from either team. The game will look disjointed at times with injuries on both sides. However, some Chelsea players will have a lot to prove and will make the most of it. Further, the Blues know another defeat is unacceptable. Therefore, a defensive approach will get the job done.
Kevin Peacock: 0-0 Draw
A game neither side will want to lose. For Chelsea, in particular, it will be an important away point after the win on matchday one. Tuchel just needs to manipulate the Blues through these initial group games and get qualification to the knockout rounds. He won’t want to do as Roberto di Matteo did during his defence of the 2012 UCL title by going out beforehand. Both defences to dominate the game, keeping the opposition strike forces at bay.
Gabe Henderson: 0-2 Chelsea
A scrappy game between two quality sides who lack cohesion without regular starters. The Blues come out on top because Tuchel simply won’t let his side get away with losing consecutive games.
Varun Dani: 0-1 Chelsea
Juventus has been terrible this season with its results reflecting its performances. Chelsea has been lucky this season with inconsistent performances going unpunished by the results for the large part. But the luck ran out when the Blues desperately needed it against Man City. Hopefully the defeat acts as the wake up call this team desperately needs. In many ways, the Blues’ reaction to the defeat will determine if the team is good enough to be contending for major honours.
What is your score prediction? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!