Atalanta Faces The Blues, Tottenham Welcomes Slavia Prague – An Evening of Champions League Football
All eyes is on an important night of European football. Two fascinating matches take center stage in the schedule, as teams competing for crucial points as the group phase continues.
The Chelsea Conundrum
Which iteration of the London club will appear on Italian soil? Their last Champions League performance served as a declaration, an emphatic 3-0 victory over Barcelona that stood as a peak for their manager's reign. Yet, form has been elusive since then. A credible draw with their London rivals was followed by a loss away to Leeds United, and a lackluster draw on the south coast means they arrive with momentum sapped.
Awaiting them is a tricky opponent that sits tied in the standings with them. La Dea endured a heavy opening defeat at PSG yet have gone undefeated in Europe ever since, contrasting somewhat mid-table results in Serie A.
Tottenham's Test
Much like their rivals, Tottenham have been notoriously inconsistent. A heavy defeat away to PSG, sandwiched between disappointing losses to Arsenal and Fulham, piled pressure on manager the Danish coach. But, the last two domestic outings – four points from six – have provided some stability.
Tonight, they host a Slavia Prague side still searching for their first victory in this year's tournament. These are exactly the type of fixture which Spurs need to secure three points from for any hopes of climbing into the top eight, especially with forthcoming games versus Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt on the horizon.
Elsewhere Across Europe
The drama is not limited to England and Italy. In a notable game, the Blaugrana will look to respond from their defeat when they host the German side. Meanwhile, free-scoring PSV pose a major challenge to the backline of Atlético Madrid. Finally, AS Monaco hosts the Turkish champions in an encounter that has all the makings of a potential high-scoring affair. Every game kick off this evening.
A pivotal evening in the group stage is upon us, with teams striving to secure a route towards the knockout rounds.
