Thursday evening, at 20:00, Chelsea moves to Malmo in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League 16th. The Londoners have won a single duel of the four disputed so far against the Swedes, and Malmo is ahead of a historic result. Chelsea has not shown convincingly in European travel in recent years.
Malmo could become the first Swedish club to reach the optimal UEL, and hosts remember the 1979 road show when the white-bells played the Cup Cup final against Nottingham Forest (0-1). Today’s Malmo team has a great tactical discipline and lives out of Rosenborg’s individual achievements, the team’s star. And Marcus Antonsson is in good shape with 3 goals in the last four official matches. The two will harass the defensive to the English, especially on the counterattack.
All in all, Malmo may be an uncomfortable rival, especially as Chelsea is renowned for the surprises it seals on European travel. The group tour is not necessarily a benchmark, because Sarri’s team had modest opponents like PAOK Thessaloniki, BATE Borisov and FC Vidi. No wonder the fact that the Londoners finished 4 matches out of 6 without the goal received, without the Italian manager using the holders. But now, Chelsea has to motivate to the maximum if it wants a long journey, because the remaining teams in the race are dangerous and will use all the weapons to have a qualifying chance.
Malmo has not played an official match for more than two months since the end of the Swedish championship, but that allowed the Nordic people to better prepare for the Chelsea duel. The Stamford Bridge team seems to be falling and Sarri’s locker room is on a powder keg. The Italian is reprimanded to Jorginho, who directs all of Chelsea’s attacks, even when Eden Hazard is on the pitch. The precarious atmosphere is reflected in the results, and Chelsea has 4 wins and 4 defeats in the last 8 official matches. Without a goal scored in the last 4 trips, guests do not have a easy task Thursday evening.
PREDICTION: Chelsea to win @ 1,37
