Sports Innovation previews the Champions League tie between Chelsea and Zenit and offers team stats and betting tips with the latest odds.
Chelsea begin the defense of their Champions League crown on Tuesday by welcoming Zenit St Petersburg to Stamford Bridge in Group H.
A 1-0 win over Manchester City in last season’s final saw the Blues lift European club football’s biggest prize for a second time and cap off a truly remarkable turnaround in form.
Boosted by the return of Romelu Lukaku, Chelsea have entered the new season in superb form. They’ve won four of their five games in all competitions, targeting European and domestic silverware, and have won already won a trophy in the UEFA Super Cup last month.
Zenit, on the other hand, are unbeaten so far, but their European record suggests trouble. The Russian champions collected just a single point in last season’s group stages. They’ve also failed to win their last two away games.
Let’s have a look at the form of both sides and the stats from their previous encounters to come up with a reasonable betting prediction.
Stats and analysis in the Champions League
Chelsea have a solid record from their last 10 Champions League outings. The Blues hit the target 1.6 times on average per game, scoring 16 goals along the way. More importantly, they kept 6 clean sheets and conceded only 4 goals, which is an average of 0.4 per game.
Zenit, though, can’t boast similar success. In their last 10 Champions League fixtures, the Russian outfit have scored just 7 goals for an average of 0.7 goals per game. They kept just 1 clean sheet and conceded 20 goals, which is an average of 0.2 per game.
Stats and facts for Chelsea and Zenit Petersborg.
Fun stats Chelsea
- Chelsea unbeaten the last 3 matches in a row;
- Total goals was UNDER 3.5 in Chelsea’s last 8 of 10 matches;
- Total goals was UNDER 3.5 in Chelsea’s last 8 matches in the row;
- Chelsea scored in the last 12 of 14 matches.
Fun stats Zenit Petersborg
- Zenit Petersborg has lost the last 3 matches in a row;
- Zenit Petersborg did not win the last 7 matches in a row;
- Zenit Petersborg has lost the last 5 matches in a row when playing away;
- Zenit Petersborg did not win the last 8 matches in a row when playing away.
Form Chelsea vs Zenit Petersborg
Chelsea look to continue their current momentum with another positive result. In their 3 final outings, Thomas Tuchel’s side achieved a 2-0 win against Arsenal and went on to a 1-1 draw with Liverpool. Their latest game produced a 3-0 win against Aston Villa.
Zenit will be out to extend their fine run of results lately. In their 3 final outings, Sergei Semak’s side achieved a 1-1 draw against FC Ufa and went on to a 1-0 win against CSKA Moskva. Their latest game produced a 3-1 win against FK Akhmat.
Chelsea v Zenit Petersborg – Fixture history
The will be the first time that Chelsea and Zenit have met in the Champions League.
Man of the Moment
Chelsea will be looking to Romelu Lukaku to find the net once again. He is on 3 of their last 6 matches. While it is tempting to look for Aleksandr Yerokhin to shine once again for Zenit, as he has been their most prolific marksman on 4 goals in their previous 6 matches.
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