Chelsea have had a small blip going into their Champions League game against Atalanta on Tuesday night.
Last weekend, Enzo Maresca’s men drew 0-0 with Bournemouth. Before that, they were beaten 3-1 by Leeds United.
To make matters worse for them, they have lost Liam Delap to another injury. All in all, things are not going well for Chelsea right now.
Nevertheless, Atalanta are still excited about having the opportunity to play against them at the New Balance Arena.
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Raffaele Palladino and Atalanta want to test themselves against Chelsea
While Chelsea’s form has certainly dipped, the Blues are still one of the biggest clubs in the world. They are also world champions following their Club World Cup success during the summer, something that Atalanta manager Raffaele Palladino has spoken about.
The Italian and his side are now looking forward to taking on Chelsea as they try to test themselves against the best.
Atalanta manager Raffaele Palladino on Chelsea
“First of all, it’s a prestigious match, a great occasion for the city, for the club, the players and all of us. We can’t wait to step onto the pitch and face such a strong team. Chelsea won the Club World Cup this summer; they’re packed with quality, strong individuals, top-class players. We want to measure ourselves against teams like this.”
Raffaele Palladino speaking to Atalanta’s official club website
Chelsea themselves have had to go up against two elite sides in the Champions League this season: Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
The Conference League holders were able to defeat Barcelona with ease in the end, beating them 3-0. However, they were no match for Bayern in a 3-1 loss.
Palladino would have analysed that defeat closely in a bid to find Chelsea’s weaknesses ahead of Tuesday night’s game.
Atalanta’s record in the Champions League this season
Atalanta will not be easy opponents for Chelsea. Palladino’s men have drawn a lot of games in Serie A this term, but their Champions League record is not bad.
They have won three of their five games so far, drawing and losing the other two. In total, the Nerazzurri have scored six goals and conceded five.
Chelsea’s record is identical, but Maresca’s side have managed to score more goals than their upcoming opponents.
Cole Palmer has not travelled to Italy, so the Blues will have to try to increase their tally without their talisman.
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