Chelsea and FC Basel will renew their rivalry when the two clubs meet in the first Champions League match of Group E.
The Blues defeated Basel a year ago on their way to winning the Europa League. Now the two sides will compete alongside the likes of Schalke 04 and Steaua Bucharest in hopes of landing the top two spots and moving on to the knockout rounds.
Chelsea is the bonafide favorite in this group, but has started to show signs of weakness in recent games. The team is coming off a loss against Everton that has many people questioning the team's potential. One of those doubters is Coach Jose Mourinho himself.
"The players did not lose the game tactically, they lost it emotionally," Mourinho said about his team's defeat this weekend, according ESPN. "Tactically, they knew what they had to do with three at the back. They know the distance they can go. Emotionally, it is different. You see your watch ticking down and it goes very fast when you are losing. They lost a little bit of emotional control."
The team will need to regain it against a Swiss side that is widely considered a top contender for second place in the group. Basel started its Swiss League title defense with a 1-1 draw against Lucerne and a 201 victory over the Young Boys.
Prediction: Chelsea will be home at Stamford Bridge and needs to take advantage of the raucous crowd it will have on its side. Expect a 1-0 Chelsea win.
Start Time: 2:45 p.m. EST
Watch Live Stream HERE.
Follow Live Score HERE.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
