In a group that many will have felt Chelsea would have walked, the English side’s chances of qualifying for the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League look to be rather precarious, even at this stage of the competition.
The Blues have been placed in Group E alongside AC Milan, Dinamo Zagreb, and Red Bull Salzburg. Naturally, there will have been confidence that a then-Thomas Tuchel side would have been able to coast through.
However, that has been far from the case as the club were defeated by Zagreb in Croatia that had then been followed by the German’s sacking just 12 hours later, while their match against Red Bull Salzburg had ended in a 1-1 draw in Graham Potter’s first game in charge.
Indeed, Chelsea are sitting bottom of the group with one point from two games with a double-header against AC Milan – group leaders – to come before return games against the other two sides. Many who like to bet on the UEFA Champions League would have found it difficult to see things having turned out in the way that they have.
So, will Chelsea still be able to qualify for the knockout phase of this year’s competition, or will they be dumped out at a stage many would not have believed possible when the Group Stages were drawn?
On paper, it should not be something that happens as the Blues have a significantly stronger squad than each of the teams that they have to face. The team should have, in theory, been able to sweep aside the likes of Zagreb and Salzburg given the talent that they have on the pitch, but as we know, they were unable to do so.
The defeat to the Croatian league champions was a huge setback, while the draw to the Austrian champions will have been a kick in the teeth, especially as they looked to dominate much of the game in the same way that they did against Zagreb.
Now, Chelsea will need to go up against the Italian champions in a quick-fire double-header, and with how the team is playing at the moment, there will be huge doubts about whether they can get the job done in either of the games that will be played.
There is no doubt that the club, its players, and their fans will be confident of being able to get a result, but if they do not do so in the first game at Stamford Bridge on October 5, then there will be a huge uphill battle for Potter and his team.
The Blues will have a game against Crystal Palace on October 1 beforehand, a match that will be their first in the Premier League for almost a month after the games against Fulham and Liverpool were postponed due to the death of Her Majesty, The Queen.
Potter will want to see his team put in the performance of their lives in this London derby as it will be a great way for them to prepare for the Serie A champions, but if they are lackluster here, then there is no doubt that they will struggle against Milan, thus potentially ending their UEFA Champions League campaign for this season.
