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Brazilian legend Rivaldo has boldly claimed that Chelsea can win the UEFA Champions League this season despite their struggles in domestic competitions.
The Blues have had a disastrous 2022-23 season so far as they sit 10th in the Premier League table. They risk missing out on a top-four finish as they are 11 points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
Chelsea have also notably been knocked out of both domestic cup competitions. All this has happened despite the club spending a fortune to sign 14 players since last summer and replacing Thomas Tuchel with Graham Potter at the start of the season.
Despite their struggles, Rivaldo reckons the London giants can win the Champions League this season. The Brazilian legend said winning the European competition is their best bet for success this term.
"Chelsea have a strong squad and can find their season's salvation in the Champions League," Rivaldo wrote in his Betfair column. "This has been a very bad domestic campaign for Chelsea, with the team 10th in the Premier League and having virtually no chance of securing a spot in next season's Champions League.
"Their best chance of success this season is in the current Champions League season, as they have a strong enough squad to fight for the European title again."
Rivaldo added that the Blues and Bayern Munich are strong favorites to win the Champions League out of the four teams that have qualified for the quarterfinals.
"Graham Potter may already be thinking about how to rotate his squad in the Premier League in order to have his best team fresh for the quarter-finals of the Champions League," the Barcelona great wrote.
"Of the four teams [that have] already qualified for the next round, I see Chelsea as a favorite to fight for the title, along with Bayern Munich."
Potter's side beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 on aggregate in the Champions League Round of 16 to progress into the quarterfinals.
Chelsea face Leicester City in the Premier League next
Having already qualified for the quarterfinals, the Blues will now wait to see who they face in the Champions League next. Meanwhile, they have turned their attention towards their Premier League clash against Leicester City.
The London giants will lock horns with Brendan Rodgers and Co. at the King Power Stadium on Saturday (March 11). They will be keen to build on their 1-0 win against Leeds United last weekend. However, a victory against the Foxes would not see them climb up the points table.
