New Delhi: Premier League outfit and current UEFA Conference League leaders Chelsea have travelled to Almany, Kazakhstan to play FC Astana in their penultimate league stage clash. The English outfit are one of only two teams in the competition that still maintain a 100% record and now face a real challenge to maintain the same record ahead of a challenging game against the Kazakh outfit.
While the two clubs have a vast difference in quality, the challenging aspect of the game is going to be the environment Chelsea play in. The game is taking place at the Ortalyq Stadion in Almaty, where Astana are playing their home games due to their own stadium undergoing renovation works, and the temperatures in Almaty are freezing cold. The temperature around the time of kick off is expected to be around -11°C, way worse than what the players’ are used to playing.
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Chelsea will be playing FC Astana in Kazakhstan today in temperature that feels like -20C.#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/Lc74WwHEEf
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) December 12, 2024
The fact that Chelsea’s players aren’t used to playing in these conditions while the FC Astana squad have been playing in such low temperatures might hand the edge over to the home side. Add to that, the eight hour journey that Chelsea’s squad have had to endure to travel for the game to Kazakhstan, it makes this one of Chelsea’s most challenging and grueling game that they will play this season. The temperature is expected to drop to around -20°C as the game progresses.
Chelsea’s starting lineup to deal with the freezing cold
Your Blues in Kazakhstan. 🔵#CFC | #UECL pic.twitter.com/D4P9OTg8rV
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 12, 2024
Chelsea have the most expensive squad in the competition by some margin and one of the advantages of having such a big squad is that the club can choose to rest it’s entire main squad and still present a decently strong starting lineup. With only a handful of starting XI players travelling to Kazakhstan for the game, much of the matchday squad was made up of the club’s academy prospects.
The duo of Tyrique George and Josh Acheampong, both of whom are considered to be the best talents coming out of the Chelsea academy currently start the game against Astana. Pedro Neto is the only name that started the win at Spurs who keeps his place in the side, given that he is suspended for the Premier League game on Sunday. Manager Enzo Maresca has also handed a first start to youngster Samuel Rak-Sakyi, who made his debut in the 8-0 win against FC Noah.
Chelsea travelled to Kazakhstan to play their penultimate group stage game in the UEFA Conference League against FC Astana where temperatures are expected to stoop to as low as -20°C. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
