Salzburg – Chelsea : Preview & Prediction
A run of three draws in the first four rounds of UEFA Champions League (UCL) Group E has kept Salzburg in the fight to qualify for the next round as group leaders, but they must avoid defeat against Chelsea to take that fight to the final day. They are also in good form at home, following a 1-1 draw against Sturm Graz last weekend, which maintained Salzburg’s slender lead at the top of the Austrian Bundesliga.
Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz sadly passed away over the weekend. He declared that “this is a new club with no history” when he changed SV Austria Salzburg’s colors and crest in 2005, but since then it has achieved historic achievements, with 13 Austrian titles and nine Austrian cups since the takeover. Salzburg have also appeared in the knockout stages of European soccer in each of the last five seasons, and will do so again if they win this match.
After taking the lead in UCL Group E with back-to-back wins over AC Milan, Graham Potter’s Chelsea could qualify for the Round of 16 with a game in hand if they can secure a win this matchday. Such an outcome is very possible, especially as the 2020/21 European champions have qualified in 17 of their last 18 UCL group stage appearances.
Chelsea were left frustrated after a 94th-minute Manchester United goal at the weekend saw them record back-to-back draws, but the result served to extend Potter’s unbeaten record since taking charge (G5, E3). Being unbeaten in 28 of their last 34 matches in European competition may cheer Chelsea fans (G21, E7), but all of their all-time meetings with Austrian opponents ended in draws (E3) after drawing at home against Salzburg in the first meeting between the two in this group stage.
Players to watch: Salzburg defender Bernardo couldn’t help keep a clean sheet in three games against Chelsea during a three-year spell playing for Brighton, but one of the seven league goal contributions he records in his career came against the Blues. Chelsea’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, meanwhile, will be looking to shine again in the current edition of the UCL, with two of his three goals contributing to clean sheet victories.
Key stat: Salzburg are unbeaten in seven consecutive UCL home games (G4, E3) and the 1-1 draw against Chelsea ended a run of five defeats against English sides.
Salzburg – Chelsea : Betting Tips
Chelsea – Win Odds: 1.75
