MY ACCOUNT
Graham Potter’s reign as Chelsea manager began with a 1-1 home draw against Salzburg last month and he has the opportunity to take the Blues through to the last 16 of the Champions League with victory in the reverse fixture on Tuesday.
Salzburg could jump up to top spot in Group E with a victory and could seal a place in the last 16 if they win and Dinamo Zagreb and AC Milan draw in the other group encounter.
Team news
Salzburg have a lengthy injury list featuring Fernando, Justin Omoregie, Ousmane Diakite, Nicolas Capaldo, Dijon Kameri and Sekou Koita.
Key midfielder Luka Sucic is hoping to shake off a minor knock and feature at the Red Bull Arena.
For Chelsea, Wesley Fofana, Reece James and N’Golo Kante all remain out, while defender Kalidou Koulibaly is also a major doubt after missing the draw with Manchester United last time out.
The stats
Prior to their 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Saturday, Chelsea had kept five straight clean sheets in all competitions.
Salzburg will feel confident they can breach the Blues rearguard, having netted in nine of their last 10 Champions League group stage matches, including all four this season.
The home side have been tearing it up in the Austrian Bundesliga this season, firing 29 goals in their 13 matches.
Teenage forward Benjamin Sesko looks a promising talent for Salzburg, having bagged four league goals this term.
Prediction
On the penultimate matchday in the Champions League group stage, both Salzburg and Chelsea have shots at making the knockout phase and this could be an entertaining affair.
Chelsea’s recent run of keeping clean sheets came in matches against the likes of Wolves, Aston Villa and Brentford, who did not exactly test the Blues at the back.
This match, however, is likely to have a different nature to it with Salzburg in pursuit of a knockout berth and therefore likely to operate on the front foot.
They have a catalogue of injuries right now but the attacking area of the pitch is not too badly affected and both teams to score, 4/6 with LiveScore Bet, appeals.
Goals look a real possibility given that Salzburg have found the net in each of their four Champions League assignments this season and they have some great attacking options in Noah Okafor and Sesko.
Okafor is the more consistent scorer of the two but Sesko has also looked sharp, managing four goals in the Austrian Bundesliga this season.
The 19-year-old also had two shots, one of which was on target, in the reverse fixture with Chelsea and has been a regular starter for Salzburg in the Champions League recently.
He is 23/10 with LiveScore Bet to score at any time against a Chelsea defence set to be without Fofana and Koulibaly.
