Bergamo's Team Takes On Chelsea, Tottenham Hosts Slavia Prague – An Evening of European Football
All eyes is on an important round of continental clashes. A pair of fascinating fixtures take center stage in the lineup, with sides battling for important points in the group stage.
Chelsea's Inconsistent Form
Which iteration of the London club will appear in Bergamo? Their last Champions League performance served as a declaration, a comprehensive 3-0 victory against the Catalan giants which was a peak for their manager's reign. Yet, results has proven elusive since then. A solid tie with Arsenal came before a loss at Leeds, and a dour stalemate on the south coast has left them with momentum sapped.
They face a dangerous Atalanta who are level on points with them. La Dea suffered a heavy opening defeat in Paris but have gone undefeated in Europe ever since, defying their modest domestic form.
Tottenham's Test
Much like their rivals, Tottenham have been famously unreliable. A heavy loss in Paris, coming between painful defeats to Arsenal and Fulham, piled pressure on boss the Danish coach. But, the last two domestic outings – four points available – have provided a measure of calm.
Tonight, they host a Slavia Prague side yet to win in the competition. This is precisely the kind of fixture that simply must secure three points from if they are to climb into the top eight, especially with upcoming challenges versus Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt still to come.
The Evening's Other Games
The drama is not limited to England and Italy. In a notable game, the Blaugrana will look to respond after their loss when they host the German side. Meanwhile, high-flying PSV Eindhoven will provide a major challenge to the defence of Atlético Madrid. Rounding out the night, Monaco hosts the Turkish champions in an encounter that has all the makings to be a high-scoring affair. All matches begin this evening.
A pivotal evening in the group stage is upon us, with teams striving for their path into the latter stages.