Ex-Chelsea stars Giroud, Tomori lead Milan to Stamford Bridge
Chelsea fans will hope that the third time is the charm in the 2022-23 Champions League as they welcome AC Milan to Stamford Bridge for Wednesday’s Group E showdown.
Graham Potter‘s side sit dead last in the section after two matches without a win, while the Rossoneri have taken four points from six to occupy first place.
Having got off the mark domestically with a win over Crystal Palace, ending Chelsea’s winless run in Europe is next on the agenda for Potter, whose first game in charge of the club ended in a 1-1 stalemate with Red Bull Salzburg.
First-placed Milan are only three points clear at this early stage of proceedings, and the Blues will be intent on upsetting the apple cart.
Not since March 2010 have Chelsea suffered defeat at home to Italian opposition in Europe – losing 1-0 to Jose Mourinho‘s Inter Milan – and the hosts have gone eight games at Stamford Bridge without defeat.
However, Milan have gone eight away games without defeat and are now aiming to end a European hoodoo on English turf, with their only win in such matches coming at Old Trafford against Manchester United in February 2005.
Milan’s lengthy injury list will have the home crowd travelling to Stamford Bridge with plenty of optimism, but Pioli is still packed with quality options in all areas of the field, including two former Blues determined to make an impact upon their return to the capital.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
City to extend 21-game unbeaten home run against Copenhagen
Manchester City will bid to continue their unbeaten start to the season when they welcome Copenhagen to the Etihad Stadium. The Citizens currently sit at the summit of Group G with six points, five clear of their Danish opponents, who picked up a point against Sevilla last time out.
After beating Sevilla in Spain in their opening Group G game, City edged past Borussia Dortmund with a 2-1 win at the Etihad last month to maintain their 100% start. The Citizens are currently enjoying a 21-game unbeaten home run in the Champions League and they will be firm favourites to extend this impressive run.
Copenhagen travel to the Etihad after winning only one of their last seven matches away from home and have only won one of their last 10 away games in the Champions League, have scored just one goal in six matches against English opposition.
Copenhagen frustrated Sevilla last time out to earn a point, but they will likely struggle against a rampant City outfit, especially if Haaland retains his place in Guardiola’s lineup.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Real Madrid to make it three straight wins in Group F
Real Madrid will be bidding to make it three straight wins in Group F when they continue their Champions League campaign at home to Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday night.
Los Blancos have beaten Celtic and RB Leipzig in their opening two European matches to sit top of the section on six points, while Shakhtar are second, having claimed four points from their first two games.
Real Madrid lifted the European Cup for the 14th time in their history when they beat Liverpool in last season’s final, and the Spanish champions are again among the frontrunners for the trophy this term, with the team already in a strong position to reach the last-16 stage of the competition.
Real Madrid will be the favourites to record a third straight victory in Group F on Wednesday, but they lost home and away to Shakhtar in the group stage of the 2020-21 competition, with the Ukrainian giants recording a 3-2 victory at Bernabeu on matchday one.
Shakhtar have made an impressive start to their Group F campaign, recording a 4-1 victory away to RB Leipzig in their section opener on September 6 before playing out a 1-1 draw with Celtic in their next game, and a total of four points has left them second ahead of their double-header with Real Madrid.
Shakhtar are more than capable of picking up a result but the reigning champions have been so strong at the start of this season, though, and we are backing them to put another three points on the board.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Benfica, PSG in top-of-the-table clash in Lisbon.
Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain will both be aiming to continue their perfect starts to the 2022-23 Champions League when they lock horns in Wednesday’s Group H game at the Estadio da Luz.
Both teams have taken six points from their opening two games, but something has to give in this week’s top-of-the-table clash in Lisbon.
All good things must come to an end, and Benfica were the victims of that age-old saying at the weekend, as they saw their remarkable winning run halted in a goalless stalemate with their Primeira Liga opponents on Saturday.
Prior to that 0-0 draw, Benfica had begun life in the 2022-23 campaign with 13 victories from 13 matches in all competitions during a sensational start to their new era under Roger Schmidt.
PSG have also navigated the 2022-23 season unbeaten so far – winning each of their last seven in all competitions – but not since October 2020 have the capital club kept a clean sheet away from home in Europe’s premier competition.
Benfica and PSG have not locked horns competitively since the 2013-14 Champions League group stage, where Les Parisiens thumped their Portuguese counterparts 3-0 at home before losing 2-1 away from home, and both managers are putting their unbeaten streaks on the line in Lisbon. It may require a moment of magic to decide this contest between two unbeaten heavyweights.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
