Chelsea may not need Champions League points tonight but the team remains keen to guard against a repeat of the result when we played away against Dinamo Zagreb in September.

The Blues lost 1-0 when we travelled to Croatia for matchday one of this season’s Champions League, the game proving to be the last one before Graham Potter was handed the reins.
Since then we have been on an upward curve in this competition, with a draw in the next match and then three straight wins which have guaranteed we go into next week’s draw as one of the first-place finishers.

Dinamo still harbour hopes of third place in our group and access to the Europa League, and if we are to repel their attack this time around, our head coach has instructions on what to guard against.



‘We need to realise that we should be the protagonist in the game because we're at home at Stamford Bridge,’ Potter says. ‘We want to try to be proactive and try to create and be on the front foot but at the same time, Dinamo have dangerous players.

‘If they defend deep they can break and they can use the forwards well. They can spring from defence to attack in a dangerous manner. You only have to look at the goal they scored against us in the first game, it's a quality counter-attacking goal. So we understand the quality of the opponent.’


The game is a welcome chance for Chelsea to quickly show we can do better than at Brighton, as Potter acknowledges, and although he does not see it as a revenge-seeking mission against Dinamo Zagreb after their win over us, he is looking for a result that will end a successful group stage on a good note.

‘We have first-hand experience that Dinamo are a talented, well-organised side with good width - a quality team that you'd expect at this level,’ he adds. ‘It’s the Champions League and they've earned the right to be here. They are still competing for points so we have to be ready for them.


‘We want to respond to the disappointment of the weekend. That's what life is at this level so we'll pick a team that we think can win, with respect for the opponent and for the competition.’