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The times are changing for Chelsea at this point. From Champions of England to duds of the season so far, the Blues are in an absolute mess. The Special One’s job is on the line and if reports are to believed, has been given a month to beat the sack.
And the one month adventure begins with a game against Kiev on Wednesday night. The home side come into this game on the back of a 1-3 defeat at the hands of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
Dynamo, on the other hand, come into this game in high spirits. They have lost just one competitive game all season and look more than capable of defeating Mourinho’s beleaguered side.
Kickoff and Telecast
Channel: Ten HD
Date and Time: Wednesday, November 04, 2015-19:45 (Thursday 5th November-01:15 IST)
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London
Team News
Jose Mourinho will be without the injured duo of Branislav Ivanovic and Thibaut Courtois. Pedro is doubtful as well. However, he is expected to recall both Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic to the starting lineup having rested them over the weekend.
Willian is expected to be a crucial figure in the starting eleven having been one of the few consistent performers for the team this season. Striker Diego Costa is expected to be given another shot with Radamel Falcao having been ruled out with an injury.
The side from Ukraine do not have any major injury worries. Only striker Lukasz Teodorczyk is a notable absentee. The striker is suffering from a long term injury and has already missed a lot of games this season. However, the presence of playmaker Andriy Yarmolenko gives Kiev every chance of coming away with something from the Bridge.
Probable Lineups
Chelsea: Begovic; Zouma, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Matic, Fabregas; Hazard, Oscar, Willian; Costa
Dynamo Kiev: Shovokovskiy; Khacheridi, Vida, Dragovic, Danilo Silva; Rybalka, Gonzalez, Buyalskiy, Sydorchuk, Yarmolenko; Kravets
Form
Chelsea: W-D-L-L-L (Last match: Chelsea 1-3 Liverpool)
Chelsea’s form has been pathetic to say the least. They have lost three games on the trot and will be looking to turn that around against Dynamo Kiev.
Dynamo Kiev: W-L-D-W-W Last match: Dynamo Kiev 2-0 Metalist)
Serhiy Rebrov’s men come into this game on the back of three wins out of their last five. Confidence is high at Dynamo and there is a sense of optimism that the team could qualify for the knockout rounds this season.
Key Stats
- Kiev’s last win against English opposition was back in 2003 when they beat Arsenal 2-1.
- Just two of the last nine goals scored by the Blues in the Champions League have come from open play.
- The Ukranian side have given away more fouls than any other team in the competition so far.
Prediction
Irrespective of the team’s form, Chelsea are a strong and many believe Wednesday night will kick off a string of wins for the West London outfit, though it will by no means be an easy task for the English champions.
Chelsea 2-1 Dynamo Kiev
Betting Odds (bet365)
Chelsea: 7/10
Draw: 14/5
Dynamo Kiev: 19/4
