Red Blue Salzburg vs Chelsea prediction, odds and preview

When Chelsea travels to play Red Bull Salzburg in Group E on Tuesday night, only 90 minutes might stand between the Blues and a spot in the Champions League knockout stages.

In this top-of-the-table matchup, Graham Potter’s team leads with seven points, while their Austrian opponents are one spot and one point behind them.

Before the penultimate round of games, Salzburg’s fate is still in their own hands. A win would be enough to secure their spot in the round of 16 if AC Milan and Dinamo Zagreb’s match goes evenly, but they could also fall out of the top two if things do not go their way.

However, they were held to a scoreless draw by Sturm Graz in league play at the weekend, and only two of their past nine Champions League games have actually resulted in victories. The Austrian powerhouses have astonishingly gone unbeaten in their last 16 matches across all competitions this season.

On the other hand, Jaissle’s team hasn’t suffered a home defeat in Europe’s top competition since December 2020; Milan, Sevilla, Bayern Munich, and Lille are just a few of the clubs that haven’t won at the Red Bull Arena since; Chelsea also has experience with deadlocks.\

Chelsea’s charge for the Champions League knockout stages has been revived after defeating the Rossoneri by an overall score of 5-0, and the West London club only needs to leave the Red Bull Arena with three more points to ensure a top-two finish.

With Dinamo Zagreb still ready to throw a wrench in the works, the top spot is not yet assured. Potter’s team had played to scoreless draws with Brentford and Manchester United prior to this match; Jorginho’s penalty against the latter was cancelled out by a last-second Casemiro header.

Although the Brazilian’s attempt prevented Chelsea from keeping a sixth consecutive clean sheet, Potter has gone unbeaten in eight domestic and international games since taking over at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues go to Austria aware that despite seven prior efforts, Salzburg has never defeated an English team.

Raheem Sterling’s first-half goal against Salzburg at Stamford Bridge resulted in a 1-1 draw for Potter’s team, the 2021 Champions League holders. The hosts are up against history as well as a long injury list as they attempt to upset the Group E apple cart.