GRAHAM POTTER will be desperate to bounce back quickly from the first defeat of his Chelsea reign when they finish their Champions League group campaign at home to Dinamo Zagreb.
The Blues boss suffered a traumatic return to old club Brighton on Saturday as the players he had recruited ran riot to inflict a 4-1 defeat, busting the coupon of our man Gabriel.
After conceding just four goals in the nine games before that, it was a huge surprise to see Chelsea's defence being ripped apart by the Seagulls. The heavy defeat has punctured the feelgood factor surrounding Potter's appointment but he now has a free-hit in Europe ahead of a crunch Premier League game with Arsenal at the weekend.
Last week's 2-1 win in Salzburg secured top spot in Group E so I'd expect Potter to rest a few of his big hitters ahead of that London derby with the league leaders.
Dinamo Zagreb can't qualify for the last 16 but they still have something to play for at Stamford Bridge as a victory could secure a spot in the Europa League.
Since stunning the Blues on Matchday One, the Croatian champions have only collected one more point but they can still jump above Salzburg into third place.
However, Dinamo's form has been dreadful of late, with Zoran Mamic's men winning just one of their last six matches in all competitions after losing 1-0 to Osijek at the weekend.
How the bookies view it
Despite having nothing to play for, Chelsea are heavy favourites for this one at a best 6/17 with VBet. Dinamo Zagreb are 9/1 at BetVictor to do the double over the Blues while the draw pays 24/5 at SBK.
Head to head
That clash earlier in the group is the only previous meeting between these sides. But Zagreb don't have a great record against English opposition, winning just five of their 20 matches and losing 12.
Players to watch
I'd expect Potter to ring the changes with the likes of Armando Broja and Hakim Ziyech in contention for starts. Broja should get the nod to lead the line and he's 25/19 with SBK for anytime scorer.
Dinamo target man Bruno Petkovic could get some joy against a weakened Chelsea defence. The big striker is 24/5 with William Hill for anytime scorer which looks a bit overpriced. He's also 6/5 with Unibet just to have a shot on target and that might be a better bet.
Anything else catch the eye?
Dinamo Zagreb need to go for it if they're to stay in Europe so it bodes well for an open game. BTTS is 66/67 with SBK and that looks decent as Potter should rest plenty of players.
Unibet have some interesting bets as usual and the 31/20 they offer on Ziyech suffering over 1.5 fouls looks decent if Potter hands the former Ajax winger a start.
This UEFA Champions League match between Chelsea and Dinamo Zagreb will be played on Nov 2, 2022 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Chelsea vs Dinamo Zagreb prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
