With their position as Group E winners secure, there's nothing but pride on the line for Chelsea when they host Dinamo Zagreb at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night (20:00) - but that isn't the case for the visitors...
No matter the results elsewhere, Chelsea can't be displaced at the top of the group. By the same token, Dinamo can't qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League. However, they can drop into the Europa League if things go their way on the night.
The Croatians need all three points in London and AC Milan to beat RB Salzburg - easy, right?!
Chelsea vs Dinamo Tips
- Double Chance - Draw Or Dinamo @ 9/4
- BTTS @ 10/11
Team News
Chelsea will have to make do without Reece James and Wesley Fofana, who continue their rehabilitation on long-term knee injuries, plus N'Golo Kante and Kepa Arrizabalaga - while Dinamo have just the one absentee in Josip Šutalo.
Double Chance - Draw Or Dinamo @ 9/4
Without context, it would be hard to back against Chelsea here, at home and in need of a response after a 4-1 beating by Brighton last weekend.
However, the context matters greatly. There's no jeopardy for Chelsea in this fixture, and they have a huge London derby against Premier League leaders Arsenal to worry about at the weekend - and after that it's Manchester City in the EFL Cup followed by Newcastle away in their final game before the World Cup.
Graham Potter is bound to rotate his squad heavily, while I expect Dinamo to be at full strength as they eye a third-place finish and qualification into the Europa League.
Chelsea may well still have too much for the Croatian outfit, even with a significantly weaker XI, but I think they're in for a tricky night against a side who beat them 1-0 in the reverse fixture back in September.
Football Betting Odds
BTTS @ 10/11
Something I've mentioned before when writing about Dinamo Zagreb is that they're a goldmine for BTTS punters.
To quantify that statement: 12 of their 14 league games this season have seen both teams on the scoresheet. To add to this, both teams have found the back of the net in 80% of Chelsea's home fixtures in the Premier League.
Add in the context of Chelsea's expected rotation and, for me at least, everything points towards BTTS being a solid bet here.
Bet on Chelsea vs Dinamo with Betfred here
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