Struggling for inspiration with your predictions for this week’s Play Predictor competition? Then let our person on the inside at Cobham help you out with these little tips, facts and pointers ahead of tomorrow’s deadline!
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There’s just no let-up of games for Frank Lampard’s Blues, with the second leg of our Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid quickly following Saturday’s Premier League visit of Brighton.
I’ve been keeping a close eye on training these past few days and have managed to pull together a few inside tips to, hopefully, help you with your Play Predictor entries…
Kai to return?
Havertz was relegated to the bench for the opening leg in the Spanish capital a week ago but could the German be back to lead the line at Stamford Bridge?
He’s trained ahead of this one after suffering with a minor knee injury, which kept him out of the clash with the Seagulls on Saturday.
We know Kai loves a big occasion and they don’t get much bigger than European nights under the lights at Stamford Bridge. Particularly when we need to overturn a first-leg defeat, so goals are essential.
I just have a sneaky suspicion that Kai will add to his two Champions League goals already this season, so I’m backing him to open the scoring.
Reece’s big impact
Another player worth considering in this week’s predictions, is Reece James.
The right-back had arguably his toughest opponent to date in the reverse fixture, going toe-to-toe with Real’s Vinicius Junior inside the Bernabeu.
It was a tough evening for Reece but he still showed glimpses of getting the better of his man and being able to join the attacks.
We’ll be needing him to be on form both defensively and offensively tomorrow evening, with his dangerous balls in from the right flank needing to be on point if we are to get anything from this one…
Backing for Joao
If you’re not convinced by my Havertz shout, then why not consider Joao Felix for our opening scorer?
He may not have been among the goals in recent games, however, he does like to strike at goal regularly and you’d think it’s only a matter of time before he finds the back of the net.
Here’s an interesting fact – he’s had the most shots on target for us in the Champions League so far this season, which is some feat when you consider he only joined in January.
Key battle
Take a look at our Opta widget below, which highlights the battle between the two player between the posts - our very own Kepa Arrizabalaga and Real stopper Thibaut Courtois.
Both players will need to be on their game to keep the goals out, but are there any weaknesses that could help with your Play Predictor thinking? You may be hard pressed to find any weaknesses mind, given these are two of the best goalkeepers in world football!
Those are my top tips for this week, so read them, absorb them and keep them in mind when it comes to making your decision. As always, happy predicting!