Chelsea vs AC Milan prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2022-10-04 19:00.
Thomas Tuchel was relieved of his managerial role at Chelsea following a shock 1-0 defeat to Zagreb in the opening UEFA Champions League (UCL) group game, yet Graham Potter’s reign began with a similarly disappointing result in round two (1-1 vs Salzburg). A last-gasp league winner against Crystal Palace last weekend then kickstarted the Potter era but a win here seems a must considering Chelsea have failed to qualify from just one of their previous 18 UCL groups.
This stuttering Blues side have been the image of inconsistency this season, with every match they’ve played producing differing results (W4, D2, L3), although just six defeats across Chelsea’s last 32 UCL fixtures suggests that improvement could be just around the corner (W17, D9, L6). Perhaps playing at Stamford Bridge will provide a further boost, as the two-time UCL winners have won without reply in six of their last eight competition matches here (D1, L1).
A convincing 3-1 win over Empoli at the weekend kept Italian champions AC Milan in touch with the Serie A leaders ahead of this crucial clash in London. Maintaining their unbeaten start in UCL action (W1, D1) may be tough however, with no fewer than nine players out with injury for Milan, although manager Stefano Pioli was quick to highlight the positives stating: “It’s a chance for everyone to show that we’re a strong squad”.
The Rossoneri have already matched their points haul from last season’s UCL group when finishing bottom, and a repeat of that appears unlikely this time around given their record of qualifying from 12 of the last 13 group stages. In order to keep the good times rolling, Milan must end a run of three straight defeats to Premier League opponents, which includes home and away defeats to Liverpool in last season’s group stage.
Key battle: Two players will face former employers as Chelsea’s Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang looks to build on his first goal against what was his first senior club. Looking to thwart him will be former Chelsea man Fikayo Tomori – the AC Milan defender scored in one of their defeats against English outfit Liverpool last season.
Hot stat: Chelsea have failed to win nine of their last 11 encounters with Italian opponents at any venue (D3, L6).