By Adegboyega Remmy Adeleye

This is the first-ever meeting between the two-time European Champions, Chelsea and Croatian giants, Dinamo Zagreb.

However, The Blues have an impressive away record against new oppositions in the competition.

Chelsea spent a record £272 million during the 2022 summer transfer window, making it the biggest single market from an individual team in the history of the game.

Chelsea will be looking to extend its long run of unbeaten away results against new Champions League opponents when they make their first-ever trip to Croatia to face Dinamo Zagreb.

Statistics

1. Against new opponents in the competition, Chelsea are unbeaten in the last 13 visits- (Win 9 and draw 5). Run started in September 2014— 1-0 win at Sporting Lisbon, Portugal

Last Loss- November 2013, 1-0 loss to Basel in Switzerland.

2. Chelsea are on an impressive away run having lost only one of the last 11 away UEFA Champions league matches(last season’s 1-0 loss at Juventus).
3. Raheem Sterling becomes the fifth player to play in the Champions League for three different English clubs – Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea.

The others were David Batty (Blackburn, Leeds, Newcastle), Kolo Toure (Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City), William Gallas (Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham) and Yossi Benayoun (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool).

4. Chelsea are featuring the UCL for the 19th time moving them level with Arsenal and behind only Manchester United(24) for most participations by an English club. The blues have won the trophy twice(2012, 2018).
5. Ben Chilwell makes his 50th Chelsea Start.
6. Goalkeeper, Kepa Arizabalaga starts for the first time this season replacing out-of-form Edouard Mendy. Tuchel says he deserves to play.

Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel on his decision to drop goalkeeper Edouard Mendy: “First of all, the most important thing is that Kepa deserves for a long time to play. We have two goalkeepers who compete at the highest level. It’s a new competition so it is maybe a good moment for Edou to take a breath. He was a bit unlucky in the last games, not even bad but unlucky.

“On top of it, Edou has some problems with the patella tendon. He’s not 100% fit at the moment, so we took a chance.

7. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang makes his first start for Chelsea after completing a €12 million transfer from Fc Barcelona. “He adds speed, he adds work-rate”- Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel on what Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang adds to Chelsea: “He adds speed, he adds work-rate. It’s not about what we did not have and what he brings. It’s also about numbers. We need width in the team. We need deep quality and Auba is a quality player.”

8. Dinamo coach, Ante Cacic says Dinamo are used to winning

Dinamo Zagreb coach Ante Cacic: “I don’t feel any pressure, I did my job by reaching the group stage. This is a celebration for us. Big clubs are coming to play us. We have a duty to be ourselves and take our chances.

“We are playing a match that we really wanted to play. It’s our reward for winning the title. This is a great pleasure for us and I’m sure that we will all benefit from this competition, players and fans.

“We are not the favourites in any game, but in every game we will look for our chance. This is not a knockout game: we have to look forward to it and learn from it.”