On Wednesday night, Chelsea are in European action once again. Italian side AS Roma are the visitors to Stamford Bridge in the third game of the Champions League group stage.
Chelsea have started life back in the competition brilliantly. Antonio Conte’s side followed up their 6-0 opening game with over Qarabag FK, with a highly impressive 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid away from home. After going 1-0 down to an Antoine Griezmann penalty, the Blues recovered and equalised through Alvaro Morata. A late Michy Batshuayi goal secured all three points for Chelsea.
Wednesday’s opponents started their Champions League campaign with a 0-0 draw against Atletico. They secured their first win of the competition away from home, with a 2-1 win in Azerbaijan against Qarabag.
Ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League fixture, we’ve picked out four Roma players that could cause Chelsea problems.
Edin Dzeko
Roma’s biggest goal threat on Wednesday evening will be former-Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko.
The Bosnian striker has been in fine form this season and has scored seven goals in seven Serie A performances. He also netted in the club’s 2-1 win over Qarabag in matchday 2.
Chelsea’s defence will face a tough task in keeping Dzeko quiet, as he has a habit of scoring for Roma.
Radja Nainggolan
Belgian midfielder Radja Nainggolan will be a hugely influential player in Roma’s midfield.
The midfielder is known for his non-stop running and will cause the opposing Chelsea midfield a lot of headaches. With no N’Golo Kante, Nainggolan could cause to be a potential matchwinner for the Italian side.
Nainggolan is impressive going forward too, as the Belgian hit 11 Serie A goals last season. He has already scored once in the league season and will be aiming to open his European account on Wednesday.
Stephan El Shaarawy
Another attacking player that will give the Chelsea defence a hard time is Stephan El Shaarawy.
A tricky winger, El Shaarway is known for his pace, dribbling, and technical skill. His style of play has drawn comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar.
This season, the Italian has scored twice in the Serie A. He will hope to score against his former national team boss Antonio Conte, and was named in the manager’s squad at Euro 2016.
Alessandro Florenzi
Italian full-back Alessandro Florenzi will be tasked with keeping Chelsea’s attackers quiet.
Florenzi is noted for his quick, energetic style of play, and is known to be very hard-working. The player is very versatile and can play in a number of positions across the pitch.
Despite often being deployed as a defender, Florenzi has an eye for goal and has already scored once in the league for Roma this season.
