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Former England forward Michael Owen has predicted a narrow 1-0 Chelsea win against Russian outfit Zenit Saint-Petersburg in the UEFA Champions League.
Owen believes Chelsea will not have everything their way and will have a tough away game in Russia. However, the player-turned-pundit still feels Thomas Tuchel's side will come through narrowly, which will secure top spot in their group.
Writing in his column for BetVictor (via The Sport Review), Michael Owen said:
“This won’t be an easy away trip for the Blues, but they’ve been in very good form in Europe this season. A win would seal top spot in the group and I fancy them to get it, I’m going for 1-0.”
Chelsea have been in good form in the Champions League, having picked up four wins from five games. The Blues currently sit at the top of Group H by virtue of having a better head-to-head record against Juventus. Thomas Tuchel's side only need to match Juventus' result against Malmo to secure first place in the group.
Chelsea have had a strong foundation at the back in this year's Champions League competition. The Blues have only conceded one goal in the entirety of the group stage so far.
Chelsea have hit a minor roadblock in the Premier League
Chelsea had made a strong start to the Premier League and were comfortably placed at the top of the table. However, the Blues have hit a minor dip in form which has resulted in them dropping down to third place in the standings.
Chelsea have been far from convincing in their recent Premier League games. The Blues could only secure a 1-1 draw against a Manchester United side who were managed by caretaker manager Michael Carrick. Chelsea did secure a 2-1 win over a struggling Watford side but made hard work for themselves at Vicarage Road.
However, their streak of unbeaten games ended when they suffered a 3-2 defeat at the hands of David Moyes' West Ham side at the London Stadium. This meant the Blues dropped below Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League standings.
As things stand, Chelsea have picked up 33 points from their first 15 Premier League matches. Thomas Tuchel's side are now two points behind league leaders Manchester City and one point behind Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool.
Following their Champions League game against FC Zenit, Chelsea take on Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday, the 11th of December 2021.
