BLACK AND BLUE: Sukkelling Chelsea
Chelsea will be hoping the arrival of new boss Graham Potter is just the doepa they need to turn around their season.
Potter takes charge of the team for the first time tonight at 9pm when they host Salzburg in a Champions League Group E match.
With predecessor Thomas Tuchel getting sacked after last week’s shock 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb, Potter says of making the step up from Brighton to the Champions League in the space of one week: “It’s just nice to be able to take the next step… and to compete at the top, you know, try to create a winning team.”
Potter, though, will need to swing his magic wand vinnig with the Blues in tatters at the moment. Sixth in the Premier League after three wins from six outings, the Blues’ new defence of Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana have to settle in quickly after conceding 10 goals in seven matches in all competitions.
It’s the same story going forward, with only eight goals in 10, as new arrival Raheem Sterling’s three strikes and a solitary Kai Havertz goal being the only contribution from their front men.
With Pierre-Emerick Aubamyang no also in the mix, the Blues will be looking to go out guns blazing in order to impress the new boss.
Salzburg, meanwhile, played to a 1-1 draw with AC Milan last week and will again goal-hero in that match winger Noah Okafor to provide a threat to Chelsea’s leaky defence.
Wednesday’s other UCL fixtures
AC Milan v Dinamo Zagreb, Shakhtar Donetsk v Celtic (both 6.45pm), Rangers v Napoli, Copenhagen v Sevilla, Maccabi Haifa v PSG, Juventus v Benfica, Real Madrid v RB Leipzig, Man City v Dortmund (all 9pm).
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