Atalanta Hosts The Blues, Tottenham Hosts Slavia Prague – An Evening of Champions League Football
All eyes is on an important night of European football. A pair of compelling encounters take center stage in the lineup, with teams fighting for crucial points in the group stage.
A Question Mark Over Chelsea
Which iteration of Chelsea will we see in Bergamo? Their last Champions League outing served as a declaration, a comprehensive 3-0 victory over the Catalan giants which was a high point in their manager's reign. Yet, form has been elusive since then. A solid tie against their London rivals was followed by a loss away to Leeds United, followed by a dour stalemate on the south coast means they arrive with confidence drained.
They face a dangerous Atalanta that sits level on points alongside them. La Dea endured a 4-0 opening defeat at PSG but have remained unbeaten on the continent since, contrasting their mid-table results in Serie A.
Tottenham's Test
Similar to their London counterparts, Ange Postecoglou's side have been notoriously inconsistent. A heavy loss in Paris, coming between painful losses in the Premier League, piled scrutiny on boss Thomas Frank. But, the last two domestic outings – a win and a draw available – have offered a measure of calm.
This evening, they host a Slavia Prague side yet to win in this year's tournament. This is precisely the kind of match that simply must secure three points from if they are of climbing into the top eight, especially with forthcoming challenges against Borussia Dortmund and Frankfurt on the horizon.
Elsewhere Across Europe
The action extends beyond those two matches. In a notable game, Barcelona will look to respond from their defeat when they host Eintracht Frankfurt. At the same time, free-scoring PSV will provide a major challenge for the backline of Diego Simeone's team. Rounding out the night, Monaco hosts Galatasaray in an encounter that has all the makings of a potential goal-fest. All matches begin at 8pm GMT.
A pivotal evening in the group stage awaits, with teams fighting to secure their path into the latter stages.
