Kick-off: 2000, 14/09/2021
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
TV: BT Sport
Chelsea begin the defence of their Champions League title with what looks a straightforward test when entertaining Zenit.
The Russian side have every incentive to do well, as they will host the final in St Petersburg, but look up against it on all known form.
We like 20/23 for a routine home win and under 3.5 goals in the game for our first Chelsea vs Zenit prediction.
A Look At Chelsea’s Betting Odds
Chelsea actually weren’t convincing at home during last season’s pool stage, beating Rennes 3-0 but only drawing with Sevilla and Krasnodar under Frank Lampard.
However, three road wins saw them progress as table toppers and Thomas Tuchel then stepped in to lead them to a famous outright triumph.
Both Madrid clubs and Porto were brushed aside in the knockout rounds before the Blues upset Manchester City 1-0 in the final.
Owner Roman Abramovich isn’t a man to rest on his laurels and Romelu Lukaku was brought back to Stamford Bridge over the summer after starring at Inter Milan.
Securing Saul Niguez on loan from Atletico Madrid will also add strength in depth to an already talented midfield, leaving Chelsea with no obvious chinks in their armour.
With Tuchel’s tactics now fully embedded, 19/4 for a smooth 2-0 success catches the eye from the Chelsea vs Zenit odds.
A Look At Zenit St Petersburg’s Betting Odds
Zenit finished bottom of a pretty average pool last term, losing twice to Borussia Dortmund and Club Brugge and only taking one point off Lazio.
They were more competitive the season before when securing seven points in a section featuring RB Leipzig, Lyon and Benfica but still trailed in fourth.
Not much has changed regarding the quality of Sergei Semak’s squad and the Sky Blues have started out brightly enough on the domestic front.
A strong Brazilian contingent includes Douglas Santos, Wendel, Malcom and new signing Claudinho.
Iran striker Sardar Azmoun has been in good form and shares time up front with valiant veteran Artem Dzyuba.
Overall, though, they seem just a level below this class and we’re adding 11/5 for them to be 1-0 behind at half-time to our Chelsea vs Zenit betting tips.
Additional stats
Last result:
CHELSEA 3-0 Aston Villa – Romelu Lukaku (2), Mateo Kovacic
ZENIT 3-1 Terek Grozny – Wendel, Alexandr Erokhin, Malcom
Head-to-head: N/A
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