Champions League: Chelsea v Red Bull Salzburg Match Preview and Betting Tips

Charles picks out a 15/2 and 14/1 bet for the clash at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday

Chelsea welcome Red Bull Salzburg to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening as they bid to get their Champions League campaign back on track.

The west London outfit produced a disjointed performance in their opening Group E clash away to Dinamo Zagreb as they fell to a 1-0 reverse. It proved to be the final straw for the Blues owners as Thomas Tuchel was relieved of his first-team duties.

Graham Potter was quickly installed as Tuchel’s successor, but after only taking charge of his first training session on Friday, it will be fascinating to see how Potter copes under the microscope.

Salzburg, meanwhile, have been in fine fettle as they sit atop the Austrian League with 21 points amassed from their first eight matches, and they earned a creditable point at the San Siro against reigning Serie A champions AC Milan in Europe’s premier competition.

It seems that Salzburg will be no pushovers and this could well be a stiff test for Potter’s troops.

But to drum up excitement for this Group E meeting, we have done the groundwork and picked out a couple of tips for you to feast your eyes on.

Chelsea to bridge the gap

If anything, Chelsea were meek and ponderous against Zagreb. They were rather naive when they tried to push up quite high in the early stages of the game which allowed Zagreb to produce a swift counter, as Mislav Orsic galloped clear of the Blues backline before sliding a shot under the grasp of Kepa.

For Potter, this is a big step up. Although he enjoyed a very fruitful spell when he presided over Brighton, he will know all too well that expectation levels will be sky high at Chelsea, so he will need to hit the ground running.

On home soil in the #UCL midweek! pic.twitter.com/QGDEaLsbF6
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 12, 2022

Chelsea’s problems on the road have been well documented this term, and while they have been far from convincing at times at Stamford Bridge, it has been a fortress and they remain unbeaten in all competitions there.

In football, there is such a thing as a manager’s bounce and Chelsea are playing catch-up in Group E. This fixture has a must-feel win about it despite being only Matchday 2.

Salzburg will try and make themselves tough to break down, but Chelsea could prevail. They may need to grind things out to eke out a winner, and I am liking the look of the Correct Score market and a 1-0 victory for Chelsea to kickstart Potter’s reign. This price is available at 15/2 with Paddy Power.

Charles Perrin's Tip

Chelsea v Red Bull Salzburg

Chelsea can grind out a 1-0 win in their first game under Graham Potter

At 15/2 a £10 bet would return £85

Champions League 2022/23

September 14, 2022

8:00 pm GMT+1

Reece James to settle matters

While the recent addition of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang bolstered Chelsea’s firepower, the Blues haven’t been over-reliant on one player this term and they can expect goals from all over the park.

Against Zagreb, Reece James tried to make things happen and drag Chelsea back into the game. The right-back is no stranger to scoring and last term, he netted six times in all competitions for the Blues.

Last month, he scored what he thought was the winner against Tottenham and he could well settle matters this time. If you are feeling bold, then you can locate odds of 14/1 with bet365 for James to be the difference maker.

Charles Perrin's Tip

Chelsea v Red Bull Salzburg

Chelsea right-back Reece James is no stranger to scoring goals

At 14/1 a £10 bet would return £150

Champions League 2022/23

September 14, 2022

8:00 pm GMT+1

* Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.

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