Venue: Stamford Bridge
Date: Weds 5th December
Kick-off: 19.45 GMT
We might be the Champions of Europe but if we don’t get a win at home to Nordsjaelland tonight, we’ll be the first Champions of Europe to go out at the group stages! Mind you, we need more than just a win because we also have to hope Juventus lose if we’re going to make it into the last 16 and avoid our worst ever performance in the Champions League Group.
Nordsjælland are already out, so we’ll have to hope they come along purely for the ride because this one is already so far out of our hands we just about have to commit burglary now to progress.
MANAGERS’ VIEWS
Well, this bit’s brief because as far as Chelsea are concerned, you know I have no interest in reading or writing about anything Rafa has to say, and Nordsaelland manager Kasper Hjulmand doesn’t seem to have had much to say for himself before this game at all.
SQUAD NEWS
John Terry (knee), Frank Lampard (calf) and Daniel Sturridge (hamstring) won’t quite make it back for this game although David Luiz is available again after suspension.
TEAMS
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Cech; Cole, Luiz, Ivanovic, Azpilicueta; Ramires, Romeu; Mata, Oscar, Hazard; Torres
NORDSJAELLAND (Possible line-up): Hansen; Parkhurst, Gundelach, Runje, Stokholm; Beckmann, Ticinovic, Christiansen, Laudrup; Adu, John
RECENT FORM
CHELSEA: LDDLL
NORDSJAELLAND: WLLWD
LAST MEETING
Nordsjaelland 0-4 Chelsea (2nd October 2012)
PREDICTION
Chelsea have won seven and lost none of their last eight Champions League home games at Stamford Bridge, we beat Nordsjaelland 4-0 away, so with them having the worst defence in this season’s competition (16 goals so far), we may be forgiven some optimism of a win, irrespective of whether we progress or not.
Mind you, whilst we’ve won 5 and haven’t lost any of the 7 Champions League games we’ve played against Danish opponents, our home record against clubs from Denmark hasn’t been great. In our last two outings at Stamford Bridge, against FC Copenhagen, we drew both times. So everything in the Stamford Bridge garden won’t necessarily be rosy tonight.
Europa League beckoning then?
Blue is the colour
