Chelsea looking to seal group win
Chelsea FC are away in Russia and want to finish the UEFA Champions League group stage as respectably as possible. For the Blues, it is still a matter of winning the group against Juventus. The Bianconeri are in action in parallel.
Before the match Zenit St. Petersburg against Chelsea, the odds indicate a favourite role for the guests from London. This is not very surprising, as Chelsea are not only the reigning Champions League title holders, but are also much better equipped individually.
The conditions will be interesting, as the current temperatures around St. Petersburg are less than -10 degrees. So it won’t be an easy away game for the Blues. The kick-off is at 18:45 on Wednesday.
Zenit St. Petersburg – Statistics & current form
Zenit St. Petersburg actually have a very good team together, but this season they don’t have much of a chance in the Champions League. Early on, the exit was in the bag, Juventus and Chelsea simply too big. The Russians lost the first leg at Stamford Bridge 1-0 thanks to a Lukaku goal.
Meanwhile, it’s business as usual for the Russians in the domestic league. With 37 points from 17 games, Zenit are currently leading the table in the Premier League. However, there was a small slip-up at the weekend in the 2:2 against Rostov, which should not be too problematic in the end. Third place in the Champions League is already assured, so Zenit will spend the winter in Europe and be relegated to the Europa League.
Before the match Zenit St. Petersburg vs Chelsea, the odds of the best bookmakers indicate a clear favourite role for the visitors. There are several reasons for this. Chelsea is of course better in terms of individual quality and also plays the better season in the Champions League. On top of that, Zenit can and probably will rotate because there is nothing at stake. Chelsea, however, need to get at least as many points as Juventus to win their group.
What face will Zenit St. Petersburg show?
Against Malmö, Zenit St. Petersburg celebrated a 4-0 win at home, against Juventus they kept up well and only lost narrowly. However, their performances away from home have all been rather weak this season. The question is which face the hosts will show now and, above all, how well-rehearsed a team is with at least the possibility of large-scale rotation.
The focus is also on striker Artem Dzyuba, who, if he plays, has the chance to score his tenth CL goal for Zenit St. Petersburg. That would bring him level with record goalscorer Hulk. The more the hosts rotate, the more the game could tilt towards the Blues. All in all, before the match between Zenit St. Petersburg and Chelsea, our tip is that the visitors will record their fifth victory in the Champions League this season.
Predicted line-up of Zenit St. Petersburg:
Kerzhakov – Karavaev, Lovren, Khotulev, Krugovoy – Kravtsov, Kuzyaev, Claudinho, Erokhin, Mostovoy – Dzyuba
Last matches played by Zenit St. Petersburg:
Premier League
12/03 2021 – Zenit St. Petersburg 2 – 2 FK Rostov
11/28 2021 – ZSKA Moscow 0 – 2 Zenit St. Petersburg
Champions League Grp. H
11/23 2021 – Malmo FF 1 – 1 Zenit St. Petersburg
Premier League
11/19 2021 – Zenit St. Petersburg 5 – 1 Nizhny Novgorod
11/07 2021 – Ural Ekaterinburg 0 – 0 Zenit St. Petersburg
Chelsea – Statistics & current form
Chelsea are an absolutely consistent team, having conceded just three goals in twelve games in the top flight under coach Thomas Tuchel. That was not only the basis for winning the title in the previous season, but also ensures that the Blues are one of the candidates for Champions League triumph with the bookmakers again this season. Stability over a large period of time is the be-all and end-all.
Group victory is now the goal in the match against Zenit St. Petersburg. If Chelsea do not get fewer points than Juventus in the parallel match, then this is in the bag due to the direct comparison won. This would result in a clash with a group runner-up in the last 16, which could be a slight advantage.
Chelsea often start the 2nd half well
Many statistics are in favour of the visitors. Not only do Chelsea have the best defence in the competition, conceding just one goal, but they have also won all three of their visits to Russian teams in the top flight. On top of that, the Blues were outstanding, especially after half-time. Indeed, in the first 15 minutes after the restart, Chelsea scored half of their goals (five out of ten).
But there are still those moments when Chelsea are shaky. The Blues lost the first leg against Juventus, although a 4-0 dismantling followed in the second leg. Chelsea also failed to convince at West Ham at the weekend, losing 3-2, so perhaps that will help to further sharpen the senses and keep the focus high. Due to the Blues’ very good defence, our value tip before the match between Zenit St. Petersburg and Chelsea is that not both teams will score.
Predicted Chelsea line-up:
Mendy – Rüdiger, Christensen, Thiago Silva – James, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Alonso – Ziyech, Havertz, Lukaku
Last matches played by Chelsea:
Premier League
12/04 2021 – West Ham 3 – 2 Chelsea London
12/01 2021 – Watford 1 – 2 Chelsea London
11/28 2021 – Chelsea London 1 – 1 Manchester United
Champions League Grp. H
11/23 2021 – Chelsea London 4 – 0 Juventus Turin
Premier League
11/20 2021 – Leicester 0 – 3 Chelsea London
Zenit St. Petersburg – Chelsea Direct comparison / H2H record
The first leg in London was the first direct clash between these two teams. Chelsea won 1-0 to take a narrow lead in the direct comparison
Zenit St. Petersburg – Chelsea Tip
Chelsea travel to St. Petersburg as favourites to win the group at the Gazprom Arena. The Blues have every chance of getting a positive result with a good game. Chelsea are particularly strong defensively and have only conceded one goal in the Champions League so far.
Everything points to a success for the visitors. Therefore, before the match between Zenit St. Petersburg and Chelsea, our tip is that the visitors will take the three points and clinch the group win.
