It’s not been the best of starts for English teams in the Champions League. The opening match day only saw Liverpool pick up three points in a very unconvincing performance against Ludogorets Razgrad, but it was perhaps at the Bridge where Britons were looking with more promising eyes at the Champions League returns to the country for the first time since 2012.
That night in Munich was of course the night of Roberto Di Matteo and Chelsea, and the club will be hoping for a trip to Germany again come June 6. And it’ll probably be the best chance an English team has.
Chelsea are amongst the favourites with 888sport and other bookmakers to secure their second European triumph and already look sure to go further than Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City who were narrowly beaten in the opening game against Bayern Munich.
Of course a key man in the Blue’s Champions League battle will be Diego Costa. The Spaniard was instrumental in Atletico Madrid’s journey to the final last season, scoring the second in their semi-final victory against the Blues along with seven more in the earlier stages of the competition. And he’s already got himself off to a flyer under Mourinho.
He missed out on the side’s 1-1 draw with Schalke just a few weeks ago, but has banged in eight in just six Premier League appearances for the club. The problem he faces may be with fitness.
Mourinho has been very careful in his selection of the striker who spent the end of last year out with a hamstring industry, but he’s ready to throw the £32million man into the action and keep up what has been a phenomenal start.
Although that could come at a risk, but what Chelsea have this year, unlike last, is depth.
Liverpool without their main man Daniel Sturridge have struggled, with only Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli as backup, who are failing to adapt to Liverpool’s style of play. Chelsea have Didier Drogba, a man that has already lifted the trophy with the Blues, and Loic Remy who will be desperate to claim a place in the Chelsea eleven and prove critics wrong.
Of course then there are the other class acts in the team. Chelsea have undoubtedly improved since last season with some assured spending bringing in Cesc Fabregas who has formed an already telepathic relationship with Costa and Eden Hazard.
It’s arguable that Chelsea could comfortably compete with any team in the world this season; they will certainly fancy their chances of topping the group ahead of the draw for the knockout stages in mid-December. They managed to get to the semi-finals without a striker capable of scoring goals last term. Could blue be the colour on the trophy this time round? There’s no reason why not.
